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So...planetary shields are pointless now, right?

Discussion in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' started by Unseen, Dec 25, 2015.

  1. Lt. Hija

    Lt. Hija Rebel Official

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    Not sure if it has been already mentioned, but we saw the planetary shield of Alderaan for one or two frames in ANH when the Death Star's weapon particle stream first hit the planet.

    I also acknowledge that the exit of hyperspace puts you very close to the planet. In the ANH novelization Solo said that Alderaan should be filling most of their field of view and we saw that correctly visualized in TFA with another planet.

    According to this information the distance between the exit point of the ship to the planet is apparently a few thousand kilometers off. Whether you can reduce this safety margain to only a couple of dozens kilometers seems highly improbable but not necessarily impossible.

    IMHO, you made a very good point. Previously you needed "horizontal boosters" (part of Solo's hyperdrive performance checklist in ESB) to propel you into hyperspace. This is also visible in the scene where the Star Destroyer Avenger jumps into hyperspace, making use of its four horizontal boosters that are otherwise and usually switched off.

    I still don't get it why they didn't leave the freighter as in the lesser (?) known film Enemy Mine. Here the pilot simply fired at the hangar doors from the inside to force them open. That would have been an unorthodox solution but worthy of a character like Han Solo. Too bad, that sometimes would haves and could haves don't count.
     
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  2. eeprom

    eeprom Prince of Bebers

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    I guess my main point about the shield (and then I’ll shut up and go away) is: if the shield is so easily bypassed, so easily deactivated, and meant to protect something that’s nigh impenetrable already - then why even have it in the movie? How does it service the story? What is it that we’d be missing out on by skipping it altogether?

    I’m not really concerned about scientific plausibility or hindsight rationalities, but the storytelling perspective. It seemed to me (and maybe I’m way off (as per usual)) they simply wanted Han disabling another shield in this movie. Which means Starkiller needed a shield. Which means they needed a way to get around the shield. Whether that way made total sense, or whatever implications it may hold for past or future continuity, were inconsequential to that end.

    I’m not saying it’s ‘good’ or ‘bad’, just that I’d have preferred something different is all. But what do I know? I’m just some random jerk out on the internets.
     
  3. Senior Captain Thrass

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    So, most of my experience with star wars is the old weg d6 game and all the novels (all legends unfortunately). Planetary shields aren't pointless still. Just the pulse style ones. (I honestly disliked this movie but I'm going to try to not let my derision sink into my answers) Planetary shields like the one protecting Bothawui are set up to cover sections of the planet and the shield generators are set below the surface of the planet. So each city has a shield generator to cover that portion of the planet. Coruscant has a double shield with holes in each shield layer so that people can come and go without having to lower the shields. the shields rotate so the holes never unless someone is leaving or entering the planet. The death star in RotJ used an umbrella style shielding. which used a lot of resources to maintain. The one in TFA used pulse shielding according to Han. So there are gaps in the shield protection but only for milliseconds. which is enough time for Han to break all laws of star wars and hyperspace through the shields in the middle of a planetary mass.
     
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  4. AstromechRecords

    AstromechRecords Jedi General

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    See that last part of what you're saying is more science -Y because going past the speed of light (Hyperspace) is faster Han going faster than ANY pulses regardless of any sci-fi...as you said, planetary shields are there for momentary protection such as asteroids and such but if a kyber crystal will go through an entire planet through its own shield (which I'm assuming Alderaan) had, then the OP had a point that shields are pointless nonetheless unless through minimal damage .
     
  5. Epilay

    Epilay Clone Trooper

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    No different than my mom putting 10 candy bars in a bag. We all knew whichever candy bar I pulled out would be glorified as the winning candy bar. (actually in most cases I always got screwed cause the winner was the 100,000 bar but that is besides the point))

    The real point is... let it go man. Just let it go.

    In the end you got to see star wars and I got to eat the 100,000 bar. We always win. Let it go.
     
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  6. dre4mth1ef

    dre4mth1ef Clone

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    It's all pointless in the end. Death Star? Pointless. Death Star 2.0? Pointless. Death Star 3.0? Pointless. It's like the point. Super military power is pointless. The good guys always throw a stone and it all comes crashing down. Because it's pointless.
     
  7. MeBeJedi

    MeBeJedi Clone Trooper

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    I'm guessing they were showing off Han's Hyperspace prowess in order to explain his later successful attempt to use it to get through the shields. Otherwise, it becomes a Deus ex Machina.
     
  8. Ammianus Marcellinus

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    it's the refreshing rate of the shield (it flickers). The falcon is able to breach that refresher rate by means of a hyperspace approach. That approach comes at a risk because it will likely crash the intruder into the planet. Only very good pilots in reasonably small ships can pull of this trick.
     

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