Darths & Droids VI: Thread title will appear here when received

[VoxRationis]

I'd say that lightsabers don't require having Force powers to wield them, but they do require them to become pertinent weapons when everybody else has blasters. So yeah, sure, Jedi can deflect blaster shots with their lightsabers. And that, I think, is both what requires having combat precognition and what makes lightsabers actually useful. Without this capacity, the Jedi knights would be better off with blasters.

This is the explanation that makes the most sense, I think, with what we see in the films (original, prequel, and sequel). Swinging something and keeping it away from one's own body is well within the bounds of normal human capability, but without the Force, you won't be able to do the specific things the Jedi do with a lightsaber and will be stuck holding a glowing melee-only weapon in a setting replete with ranged weapons. One could argue for the usefulness of lightsabers in utility contexts for common soldiers, but at that point, it becomes a question of utility versus cost and availability.

[Laurentio III]

One could argue for the usefulness of lightsabers in utility contexts for common soldiers, but at that point, it becomes a question of utility versus cost and availability.

Lightsabers are a pretty silly weapon if you are not an excellent martial artist, but they do make the best protection against almost everything.
Lightshields should be a thing.
Lightnunchaku, instead, are a crime against humanity.

[Anonymouswizard]

Lightnunchaku, instead, are a crime against humanity.

Is that two lightsabers connected by a chain, or two handles with a flexible tube of plasma between them?

[Fyraltari]

Lightshields should be a thing.

You mean this?

[Laurentio III]

You mean this?

No, I mean the "vaporizing people with a bull charge" ones.

[Kantaki]

Is that two lightsabers connected by a chain, or two handles with a flexible tube of plasma between them?

Both obviously.

[Xihirli]

This is the explanation that makes the most sense, I think, with what we see in the films (original, prequel, and sequel). Swinging something and keeping it away from one's own body is well within the bounds of normal human capability, but without the Force, you won't be able to do the specific things the Jedi do with a lightsaber and will be stuck holding a glowing melee-only weapon in a setting replete with ranged weapons. One could argue for the usefulness of lightsabers in utility contexts for common soldiers, but at that point, it becomes a question of utility versus cost and availability.

Which gels with all the movies, but Grievous deflects blaster bolts in Clone Wars.

[The Glyphstone]

Is that the Cartoon grevious who is badass, or the movie Greivous who just windmills his sabers around in a circle?

[SirKazum]

Is that two lightsabers connected by a chain, or two handles with a flexible tube of plasma between them?

The first kind are actually light-swordchucks.

[KillianHawkeye]

One could argue for the usefulness of lightsabers in utility contexts for common soldiers, but at that point, it becomes a question of utility versus cost and availability.

Which makes me wonder why lightknives aren't a thing. You don't need a whole sword for cutting most things, and a knife with an energy blade would put a vibro-blade to shame.

Actually, I wonder what the younglings' or Yoda's smaller lightsabers would look like when held by a full-size adult? Why do we never see that?

[SirKazum]

Which makes me wonder why lightknives aren't a thing. You don't need a whole sword for cutting most things, and a knife with an energy blade would put a vibro-blade to shame.

Actually, I wonder what the younglings' or Yoda's smaller lightsabers would look like when held by a full-size adult? Why do we never see that?

I have zero idea from a canon / expanded canon etc. perspective, but putting my worldbuilder hat on, if I had to come up with an excuse, I'd say that getting a stable, contained beam like you see in a lightsaber requires a power concentration that would be sufficient to power a full-size lightsaber. Getting something smaller would require intentionally reducing the range of your beam to less than what your equipment permits. Therefore, since you're paying for the full-size beam in the first place, so to speak, it doesn't make sense to have a smaller blade. No idea if anything in canon contradicts this idea though... if it does, then yeah, why the heck don't we have light-knives, they would be hella cool in a variety of situations.

[The Glyphstone]

The EU did feature Lightsaber Shotos, also known as lightdaggers. But they were less combat knives and more offhand parrying blades, or for someone like Yoda who couldn't wield a full-size saber.

[Fyraltari]

Courtesy of the H2G2 film.

[Anonymouswizard]

Courtesy of the H2G2 film.

But what if I want a slice of untoastedd bread?

[VoxRationis]

Which gels with all the movies, but Grievous deflects blaster bolts in Clone Wars.

Grievous cheats. He's been extensively modified with cybernetics, including on a nervous system level, which increases his reflexes. He also uses four lightsabers at the same time, which increases the odds that a given blaster bolt will be parried even if he had no skill whatsoever.

Which makes me wonder why lightknives aren't a thing. You don't need a whole sword for cutting most things, and a knife with an energy blade would put a vibro-blade to shame.

I think it's probably a matter of resource availability and cost. Lightsaber crystals aren't, say, as rare as Faberge eggs, since every Jedi or Jedi-in-training can be equipped with a lightsaber, but keep in mind that the Jedi are a relatively small organization tied into the high levels of a galaxy-wide government, so they can get a hold of those resources even if, on a broader basis, they're far too rare to be used for consumer goods. And since the crystals are a mineral resource, there's a set and finite amount of them within non-cosmological time scales, so a farsighted organization might make a point to deliberately ration them.

[Pax1138]

Grievous cheats. He's been extensively modified with cybernetics, including on a nervous system level, which increases his reflexes. He also uses four lightsabers at the same time, which increases the odds that a given blaster bolt will be parried even if he had no skill whatsoever.



I think it's probably a matter of resource availability and cost. Lightsaber crystals aren't, say, as rare as Faberge eggs, since every Jedi or Jedi-in-training can be equipped with a lightsaber, but keep in mind that the Jedi are a relatively small organization tied into the high levels of a galaxy-wide government, so they can get a hold of those resources even if, on a broader basis, they're far too rare to be used for consumer goods. And since the crystals are a mineral resource, there's a set and finite amount of them within non-cosmological time scales, so a farsighted organization might make a point to deliberately ration them.

And a not farsighted organization might hollow out a planet of them to build a Deathstar or two.

[theangelJean]

New comic.

I never looked into any of the specifics of how lightsabers work beyond them needing crystals of some kind, so I'm curious what the reason might be for them always turning off when they're dropped.

I always assumed they had a "only on when pressed" button. Turning them on was always a separate step from unsheathing them, which distinguished them from swords in a visually impressive way. I figured the button required constant contact, rather than being a toggle switch. (Some RL lightsaber toys work exactly that way, probably to save battery.) Now that I think about it, though, that would also mean a lightsaber could never be a thrown weapon - it would turn off in mid-air.

I didn't kill the thread this time! Yay!

[KillianHawkeye]

I always assumed they had a "only on when pressed" button. Turning them on was always a separate step from unsheathing them, which distinguished them from swords in a visually impressive way. I figured the button required constant contact, rather than being a toggle switch. (Some RL lightsaber toys work exactly that way, probably to save battery.) Now that I think about it, though, that would also mean a lightsaber could never be a thrown weapon - it would turn off in mid-air.

Thrown lightsaber is a staple maneuver in older video games, though, and Darth Vader did it at least once in the films (near the end of Return of the Jedi). I think the assumption there is that you have to use The Force to keep the dead man's switch held down; they're already presumably using The Force to guide the saber through the air anyway (and call it back to themselves, in the video games).

[Kornaki]

New comic.

I always assumed they had a "only on when pressed" button. Turning them on was always a separate step from unsheathing them, which distinguished them from swords in a visually impressive way. I figured the button required constant contact, rather than being a toggle switch. (Some RL lightsaber toys work exactly that way, probably to save battery.) Now that I think about it, though, that would also mean a lightsaber could never be a thrown weapon - it would turn off in mid-air.

I didn't kill the thread this time! Yay!

You can just use the force to keep the button depressed while it flies to its target.

[InvisibleBison]

New comic.

I always assumed they had a "only on when pressed" button. Turning them on was always a separate step from unsheathing them, which distinguished them from swords in a visually impressive way. I figured the button required constant contact, rather than being a toggle switch. (Some RL lightsaber toys work exactly that way, probably to save battery.) Now that I think about it, though, that would also mean a lightsaber could never be a thrown weapon - it would turn off in mid-air.

I didn't kill the thread this time! Yay!

IIRC in the Legends canon lightsabers by default turned off if you released the power button, but there was a switch or something you could toggle to lock the blade on. I haven't engaged with any of the Disney canon EU, so I don't know if there's a similar concept there.

[Aeson]

Thrown lightsaber is a staple maneuver in older video games, though, and Darth Vader did it at least once in the films (near the end of Return of the Jedi). I think the assumption there is that you have to use The Force to keep the dead man's switch held down; they're already presumably using The Force to guide the saber through the air anyway (and call it back to themselves, in the video games).

Vader presumably called his lightsaber back with the Force in Return of the Jedi; at any rate, he certainly never bent over to pick it up off the floor or anything like that.

[137beth]

Hey nice that's Mutants and Masterminds style phrasing.

Spoiler: TLJ

Show

I can't wait to learn Luke's Darth name.
Yoda's was Sain.

Taking bets for what Luke's will be. Dustry? Sertion? Stantaneous? Structor?

Huh, I just realized the meaning of "Darth Sain" in the comic now.

[KillianHawkeye]

Vader presumably called his lightsaber back with the Force in Return of the Jedi; at any rate, he certainly never bent over to pick it up off the floor or anything like that.

True, but he at least seems to walk over to where it fell rather than pulling it back from afar like Kyle Katarn in the SW Jedi Knight games.

[Anonymouswizard]

Vader presumably called his lightsaber back with the Force in Return of the Jedi; at any rate, he certainly never bent over to pick it up off the floor or anything like that.

True, but he at least seems to walk over to where it fell rather than pulling it back from afar like Kyle Katarn in the SW Jedi Knight games.

I mean, what's to say that Vader doesn't just have a second lightsaber?

[Gez]

Lightsabers are a pretty silly weapon if you are not an excellent martial artist, but they do make the best protection against almost everything.
Lightshields should be a thing.

Which is why Ulysses 31 is the superior fantasy space opera franchise.

Spoiler: Big image

Show

Look at that: a lightsword that is also a blaster, and a light shield. Plus a badass armor with a helmet that looks like a lion's head. And, instead of just an old evil wizard emperor? Please! Ulysses fight against literal gods. The Jedi got nothing on the King of Space Ithaca.

[SirKazum]

I mean, what's to say that Vader doesn't just have a second lightsaber?

I don't think they know about second lightsaber, Anonymouswizard...

[Kornaki]

I airways thought vader walking over to his lightsaber was a show of dominance. He's allegedly unarmed, but he just casually strolls over. This isn't a desperate battle, it's just another day at the office.

[Taevyr]

I don't think they know about second lightsaber, Anonymouswizard...

What about Lightsaber shoto's?

[theangelJean]

Corellia was just referenced in comic. I can't tell if memnarch is being deliberately vague in recognising the word Corellian "from somewhere" or if they're just as forgetful as I am. I had to Google to check if I only knew it from SWTOR, or if I really had seen it only four weeks ago... (The August 14 comic was the one that linked here - I wonder if anyone noticed when it was first published in late July?)

I'm still fairly sure I've been to Corellia in SWTOR, though. And I don't know if the phrase "Corellian Syndicate" comes from there or from Da&Dr.

[SirKazum]

Corellia was just referenced in comic. I can't tell if memnarch is being deliberately vague in recognising the word Corellian "from somewhere" or if they're just as forgetful as I am. I had to Google to check if I only knew it from SWTOR, or if I really had seen it only four weeks ago... (The August 14 comic was the one that linked here - I wonder if anyone noticed when it was first published in late July?)

I'm still fairly sure I've been to Corellia in SWTOR, though. And I don't know if the phrase "Corellian Syndicate" comes from there or from Da&Dr.

Off the top of my head, Corellia is a well-known planet in official SW lore. I think that's where Han Solo comes from (don't know where exactly it was established). Also, a "Corellian Corvette" was a popular vessel, don't remember where it was used in the movies but I think it was. I know it best from the X-Wing / Tie-Fighter flight sim games though.