Your Very Own Imperial Stardestroyer

[Boris Godunov]

ISDs and SSDs have fighter defense capabitilities, their point-defense cannons. These are what we see firing at the Millenium Falcon in the Hoth asteroid field. Had they been using their main turbolaser batteries, a direct hit would have obliterated the MF, which was not what they wanted to do!

The A-Wing that downed the Executor (FYI, Drake, it is pronounced "EX-ecutor," as in executing orders or people) was hit by one of the SSD's point-defense cannons, which is what sent it on its crash dive into the bridge. Considering the speed at which the A-Wing was going, this shows the point-defense cannons aren't bad in terms of accuracy, even when their targeting ability has just been compromised (assuming the p-d cannons of the ventral surface were affected by the same problem as the bridge's p-d batteries).

But your point is valid--The ISD is much more like a very powerful fleet carrier designed to project Imperial power throughout the galaxy. They pack immense firepower, but ship-to-ship combat is not their primary purpose.

[Proteus_MST]

Now, after all I refer to the Description of the Stardestroyers and Superstardestroyers within the Roleplaying Game of Star Wars, where their Main Purpose is Capital Ship Combat (and as you mentioned, to project the Imperial Power) and their Armament consists solely of normal and heavy Turbolaser Batteries (aside from Ion Cannons and Concussion Missile and Proton Torpedo Launchers).

But, as the Star Wars RPG wasn´t made by George Lucas or the Crew which made the Original Films, there is always the Possibility, that the Star Destroyers in the RPG differ from the Star Destroyers in then Movies and the ones in the Movies were thought to have Point Defense-Weapons included.

[Boris Godunov]

The RPG material is so far down on the list in terms of reliable statistics that it is practically useless. It's akin to the computer games in reliability, or perhaps even a little worse.

[Kramerman]

do you have the D6 or WotC d20 version? I forget which, but one of them go into great detail of PD defenses on most capital ships, especially the ISD (i htink the d20)

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
The A-Wing that downed the Executor (FYI, Drake, it is pronounced "EX-ecutor," as in executing orders or people) was hit by one of the SSD's point-defense cannons, which is what sent it on its crash dive into the bridge. Considering the speed at which the A-Wing was going, this shows the point-defense cannons aren't bad in terms of accuracy, even when their targeting ability has just been compromised (assuming the p-d cannons of the ventral surface were affected by the same problem as the bridge's p-d batteries).

You know, wouldn't you think that a people who could build interstellar starships and autonomous robots would be able to build computer tracking systems for their weapons that would render fighters suicidally useless?

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
You know, wouldn't you think that a people who could build interstellar starships and autonomous robots would be able to build computer tracking systems for their weapons that would render fighters suicidally useless?

Well, the problem is that the Empire didn't consider small fighters to be a threat (as Death Star I proved). This was because small fighters WERE suicidally useless against a shielded capital ship, except in extremely large numbers...numbers which only the Empire really had the resources to muster. The damage caused to the ISDs at Endor was caused by the Rebel capital ships, not the fighters (the Executor's errant A-wing mishap being an exception).

[:) Smiley]

It always boggled me why the Empire had such a massive military. They ruled an entire galaxy and had no rivals.

[Drake Tungsten]

(FYI, Drake, it is pronounced "EX-ecutor," as in executing orders or people)

Finally! Thank you, Boris.

[Kramerman]

Originally posted by Smiley
It always boggled me why the Empire had such a massive military. They ruled an entire galaxy and had no rivals.

They were a repressive regime, they needed thier military might to keep control and put down uprisings as well as expand into the unkown regions and 'aquire' independent star systems... it pisses me off to this day that the rebellion won... they were so militarily outmatched, its not even funny

[DinoDoc]

It was the Empire's obsession with big expensive, easily destroyed super weapons that led to their downfall. That and the damn teddy bears took them out.

[Kramerman]

we wont get into that again stupid ewoks. i forgot how Bori rationalized that one

[GePap]

The imperial military was tiny, if one believes the numbers given: what, a million ships of all classes? To rule an entire galaxy? Any civlization that controls an entire galaxy could surely amass a fleet that would surpass the mass of a small planet.

Or in Attack of the Clones, the entire new army of the Republic, 200,000 troops? That is nothing.
Kramerman: that number you give, of a single turbolaser having the power of 7-8 kilitons a shot is far more believable than the number Lonestar sites of multi-megatons per blast.

As for the empire: I am sorry, but a capital ship 12 miles long should have redundant systems: even the Enterprise had a battle bridge deep within it (which the writers underutilized), but it seems to me any ship that size and powerfull which could be taken out in such a way is faulty, and no, it does not matter that the Empire might not have seen fighters as low threat: We can assume that enemy battlecruisers, if they concentrated all their fire on that weak spot would work just as well, and that is bad design. Redundancy folks, redundancy.