Thoughts on the Battle of Naboo

[Darth Garden Gnome]

I was rewatching TPM a few hours ago (what can I say, I love that lightsaber duel), and I had a few interesting thoughts on the battle:

1.) Once the Naboo get to their N-1s, whats stopping them from hovering up to the throne room and effectivley holding Gunray hostage? Their is an angle against the waterfalls where there were no AATs to be seen - thus eliminating any chance of attack on the fighter(s). This would have seemed to be the most logical way to defeat the Viceroy.

2.) So Naboo troops are storming the halls of the palace, and even if it seems their attack is futile, Gunray doesn't even consider escaping? He could have easily contacted a transport, blown out a window, hopped on, and escaped.

3.) So Naboo troops are storming the halls of the palace, and not a single droid has a grenade? A SINGLE thermal detonator could have easily wiped out the entire Naboo force.

4.) Why does Gunray leave the DOORS open? In the throne room the doors are hanging WIDE open just ASKING for someone to break in. He could have at least considered the Naboo would've split into two groups (makes sense) and even capturing one wouldn't save him if the other showed up. Had he locked the doors, the Naboo would have never captured him.

5.) Qui-Gon is put on easily I guess. Anyone on Earth could've seen that Maul was leading him into a trap. Okay so maybve he wouldn't know that the strange looking hallway has shields seperating it, fine. But once Maul re-opened the shields, the least he could've done was walk in the OTHER DIRECTION so he could meet up with Obi-Wan, only a few feet away.

6.) When Panaka blows out the window, he shoots it FIVE freakin' times! What gives? It shattered ont he first shot! Energy waster!

[Illuminatus Primus]

TPM makes no fucking sense.

There's a reason why its crap.

1.) The idiot Trade Federation blows up the Republic Cruiser inside its fucking hangar bay, when they could've shown battle droids siezing control.

2.) Fucking Battle Droids. Why not show semi-sentient highly well-programmed droids, that look like skeletal Terminator versions of Nemodians? Why not have a realistic problem with battle droids that shows why volunteers and clones were preferable in some respects. Like showing that combat droids have inflexible situational programming, and show them easily routed in a peacekeeping esque situation, something stormtroopers are well suited for, while maintaining being excellent combatants? Purpose-built troops? Lighter fully-erect security droids with arm blasters the size of carbines. Gorilla-like open combat armored squatting droids with heavy rifle-sized arm blasters.

3.) The entire Trade Federation fleet is made of 3.1 km freighters-cum-carrier/troopships. No cruisers? No battleships? No destroyers? No frigates?

More later.

[Gandalf]

5.) Qui-Gon is put on easily I guess. Anyone on Earth could've seen that Maul was leading him into a trap. Okay so maybve he wouldn't know that the strange looking hallway has shields seperating it, fine. But once Maul re-opened the shields, the least he could've done was walk in the OTHER DIRECTION so he could meet up with Obi-Wan, only a few feet away.

Could it be that he kept pushing the attack so that Maul didn't escape?, and he just didn't know about the shields.

[Boba Fett]

Qui-Gon is put on easily I guess. Anyone on Earth could've seen that Maul was leading him into a trap. Okay so maybve he wouldn't know that the strange looking hallway has shields seperating it, fine. But once Maul re-opened the shields, the least he could've done was walk in the OTHER DIRECTION so he could meet up with Obi-Wan, only a few feet away.

The shileds worked automatically, Maul didn't closed or opened it just took advantage on the situation. Otherwise you're correct especially since Qui-Gon had a bad experience on Tatooine with Maul and he already knew he can't beat him alone.

[Kuja]

1.) Once the Naboo get to their N-1s, whats stopping them from hovering up to the throne room and effectivley holding Gunray hostage? Their is an angle against the waterfalls where there were no AATs to be seen - thus eliminating any chance of attack on the fighter(s). This would have seemed to be the most logical way to defeat the Viceroy.

And they'd have let the gungans be slaughtered because they failed to stop the droid army.

2.) So Naboo troops are storming the halls of the palace, and even if it seems their attack is futile, Gunray doesn't even consider escaping? He could have easily contacted a transport, blown out a window, hopped on, and escaped.

Remember, the he anticipated Maul being able to stop them, had a blockade set up on one floor, and then when the heroes went up the side ofthe building, there were destroyer droids waiting for them.

3.) So Naboo troops are storming the halls of the palace, and not a single droid has a grenade? A SINGLE thermal detonator could have easily wiped out the entire Naboo force.

They wanted the queen alive.

4.) Why does Gunray leave the DOORS open? In the throne room the doors are hanging WIDE open just ASKING for someone to break in. He could have at least considered the Naboo would've split into two groups (makes sense) and even capturing one wouldn't save him if the other showed up. Had he locked the doors, the Naboo would have never captured him.

Gunray's a moron. When is it stated that he was ever a military commander? He's a beurocrat.

5.) Qui-Gon is put on easily I guess. Anyone on Earth could've seen that Maul was leading him into a trap. Okay so maybve he wouldn't know that the strange looking hallway has shields seperating it, fine. But once Maul re-opened the shields, the least he could've done was walk in the OTHER DIRECTION so he could meet up with Obi-Wan, only a few feet away.

And free up Maul to run after the Queen.

6.) When Panaka blows out the window, he shoots it FIVE freakin' times! What gives? It shattered ont he first shot! Energy waster!

He's excited.

[Anarchist Bunny]

The thing about the Battle Droids are that they are suppose to be really cheap, quick, and easy to make. When they are compacted like that they could probly fit 8 were one heaver troop would be in a transport. So their not the heaviest armor troop, you can get about 3 of them for one larger heavy armored. And with blaster strength, I'd rather have 3 semi-hard to hit then one heavily armored that wouldn't last much longer than one. Besides they do have heavier troops, the Droidekas can absorb large ammounts of small arms fire and put out enough fire power to draw a stand still to a jedi, and the Super Battle droids, while goofy have thinker armor and a rapid fire blaster.

[Ted C]

5.) Qui-Gon is put on easily I guess. Anyone on Earth could've seen that Maul was leading him into a trap. Okay so maybve he wouldn't know that the strange looking hallway has shields seperating it, fine. But once Maul re-opened the shields, the least he could've done was walk in the OTHER DIRECTION so he could meet up with Obi-Wan, only a few feet away.

And free up Maul to run after the Queen.

Nope. The little room at the end of that corridor doesn't seem to have any other exits, unless you count jumping down the bottomless shaft.

[Darth Garden Gnome]

And they'd have let the gungans be slaughtered because they failed to stop the droid army.

First off: YES! Let them die!

More seriously though, you'd think that as the leader of TradeFed forces on Naboo, Gunray could call up the command ship if he was being threated with complete vaporization at the hands of an N-1. They didn't even try, they could've spared a single fighter.

Remember, the he anticipated Maul being able to stop them, had a blockade set up on one floor, and then when the heroes went up the side ofthe building, there were destroyer droids waiting for them.

Conceded.

They wanted the queen alive.

Totaly forgot about the treaty thing. Conceded.

Gunray's a moron. When is it stated that he was ever a military commander? He's a beurocrat.

I'm not a military expert, and I still lock my doors when I get home. Its common sense.

And free up Maul to run after the Queen.

Unless Maul would like to try his luck diving down the Bottomless Pit 'O Doom....

He's excited.

Excuses, excuses!

[Patrick Ogaard]

1) There is always the possibility that one or more droid starfighters on ground patrol in or near the city could have been called in to take care of a problem like that, leading to exploding Naboo fighters. It would have also been a tempting target for a platoon of battle droids on STAPs. Sustained twin blaster fire from a few dozen STAPs should bring down fighter shields in a reasonable period of time. After all, the fighters (or at least one) would have to maintain position with their guns and torps ready to blast the Naboo royal palace to pieces. It could have become a deadly game of nerves, assuming that the Viceroy might have actually developed a set of gonads.

2) Hopping out a window would have required courage and initiative, qualities the Viceroy was obviously not graced with. Also, if Panaka's security forces were joyriding through the streets in speeders with blasters blazing and placed snipers on a few convenient rooftops, the Viceroy would have potentially exposed himself to extreme danger through such action. Just one good shot from one of those tank-busting blaster cannon…better to stay close to the nasty Sith guy, and the droideka, and all the battle droids.

3) Thermal detonators are not common issue for urban pacification operations, unless stormtroopers are doing the pacifying. And seriously, would you trust a battle droid with a thermal detonator, or even a fragmentation grenade? That also brings into play the fact that the battle droids appeared to have no provisions for storage of any armaments beyond their standard blaster carbines. One shielded droideka in the right spot could have just as easily taken out the entire Naboo raider force inside the palace.

4) Who ever claimed Nute Gunray was tactically smart? Being a ruthless businessbeing and unprincipled opportunist does not necessarily equate with being brave or being capable of thinking logically when a bunch of nasty people with blasters comes knocking.

5) The doors opened and closed of their own accord, based on potentially lethal power outputs intermittently produced by the plasma refining process in the plant. Inside the World of Star Wars Episode I does appear to indicate that there were several alternate ways out of the area surrounding the bottomless pit, ways that would have led Maul to the reserve plasma tanks and then out into the city itself. Better to keep as close as possible to Maul and try to keep his attention focused on the Jedi at hand, not on whatever mischief Maul might be able to come up with if the Jedi joined forces again and thus wasted time.

6) Panaka is a cop. That window could have been on PCP and come right back up itching for a fight after just one shot. A cop makes sure the perp stays down, even if the perp is a window. He might have also gotten a little excited there.

[irishmick79]

3.) So Naboo troops are storming the halls of the palace, and not a single droid has a grenade? A SINGLE thermal detonator could have easily wiped out the entire Naboo force.

Judging by the arm mechanisms of the battle droids, I would say they would have had a hard time making the proper throwing motions to succesfully lob a grenade, with any degree of accuracy. Granted, they could simply have strapped grenade launchers underneath the blaster rifles, but that would have probably cost the federation more money than it was willing to spend....

and maybe the droids were just a light division. Maybe there were heavier droids designed for those kind of purposes that the federation just didn't employ due to cost considerations.

[PainRack]

I was rewatching TPM a few hours ago (what can I say, I love that lightsaber duel), and I had a few interesting thoughts on the battle:

1.) Once the Naboo get to their N-1s, whats stopping them from hovering up to the throne room and effectivley holding Gunray hostage? Their is an angle against the waterfalls where there were no AATs to be seen - thus eliminating any chance of attack on the fighter(s). This would have seemed to be the most logical way to defeat the Viceroy.

A second objective was to attack and cripple the Droid Control Ship,so as to shut down the Droid Army and recapture Naboo.

2.) So Naboo troops are storming the halls of the palace, and even if it seems their attack is futile, Gunray doesn't even consider escaping? He could have easily contacted a transport, blown out a window, hopped on, and escaped.

There is no reason to assume why he didn't summon for help,and that a transport just wasn't available or hasn't arrived.

3.) So Naboo troops are storming the halls of the palace, and not a single droid has a grenade? A SINGLE thermal detonator could have easily wiped out the entire Naboo force.

Grenades aren't usually issued out to garrison troops.

4.) Why does Gunray leave the DOORS open? In the throne room the doors are hanging WIDE open just ASKING for someone to break in. He could have at least considered the Naboo would've split into two groups (makes sense) and even capturing one wouldn't save him if the other showed up. Had he locked the doors, the Naboo would have never captured him.

He just captured the Queen.He forgot.

[Darth Negation]

6) Panaka is a cop. That window could have been on PCP and come right back up itching for a fight after just one shot. A cop makes sure the perp stays down, even if the perp is a window. He might have also gotten a little excited there.

"You have the right to remain silent! Anything you say will be given in evidence against you! NOW WHERE'S THE VICEROY???"
:Naboo troops back away from Panaka:

[Patrick Ogaard]

6) Panaka is a cop. That window could have been on PCP and come right back up itching for a fight after just one shot. A cop makes sure the perp stays down, even if the perp is a window. He might have also gotten a little excited there.

"You have the right to remain silent! Anything you say will be given in evidence against you! NOW WHERE'S THE VICEROY???"
:Naboo troops back away from Panaka: