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On the Death Star: "Stormtroopers meet clandestinely to play violent, prohibited ball game in zero-gravity filtration system"

Stormies apparantly like zero-g rugby, even though they aren't allowed to play it. Indicator of non-drone-like personalities, even if they are genetically-modified clones.

Robert Treder wrote:Owen and Beru sleep in seperate twin beds. They're like parents in an old TV show.

I wouldn't want to sleep with anyone if I lived on a hellish desert planet...

The Stormtrooper individuality is hardly a surprising thing.

Pax Emperica verifies that all GeNodes automatically fabricate their own unique personalities and imaginary memories after coming out of the vats.

Great Temple at Yavin IV features "deep-crust survival bunkers for last refuge in event of bombardment of planet surface by Imperial Star Destroyers"

StarshipTitanic wrote:

Robert Treder wrote:Owen and Beru sleep in seperate twin beds. They're like parents in an old TV show.

I wouldn't want to sleep with anyone if I lived on a hellish desert planet...

Deserts get cold at night. Besides, they're underground.

Illuminatus Primus wrote:The Stormtrooper individuality is hardly a surprising thing.

Pax Emperica verifies that all GeNodes automatically fabricate their own unique personalities and imaginary memories after coming out of the vats.

I know, but I've encountered people who assume that all stormtroopers are mindless robots.

Anyhow, on to Hoth.

Ranks and Officers: General Veers (Saxton theorizes Major General) is accompanied by Brigadier General Nevar in Blizzard 2, and Colonel Starck in Blizzard 4. Col. Starck loses three AT-ATs to glacial crevasses before establishing contact with the enemy. He was attempting to scout a shorter route to the Rebel base in an attempt to impress Lord Vader. Upon losing the third AT-AT, he regroups with Gen. Veers' main assault.

I have to disagree with the earlier post that said that Veers is indicated as having destroyed the generator from a distance much less than seventeen kilometers. There is no direct indicator of where Veers made the shot from, but they do mark the position at which he told Vader to begin his landing, which was immediately before making the shot. This spot appears to be roughly twenty kilometers from the generator, matching nicely with the observed "one-seven decimal two-eight".

I'm not sure that the walkers that Starck lost were AT-ATs, as they were only described as "walkers". They could have been AT-STs or any other of the numerous walker types that were used in the assault.

Ender wrote: How so? I didn't really see any scaling clues in the press release shot, but the preproduction art that came out in SWI showed them being big

I presupposed it from PH's comment that the TF ships would be the largest vessels present- since they're 3km, the Venators must be smaller. My guess is that they'd be smaller than an ISD, but who can be sure? They might be over 2km for all I know ... but I'd really like to see a big-arse ship.

President Sharky wrote:I'm not sure that the walkers that Starck lost were AT-ATs, as they were only described as "walkers". They could have been AT-STs or any other of the numerous walker types that were used in the assault.

True, but we don't see many AT-ATs attacking the base at once, when there may have been up to nine in the beginning (Blizzard 8 and Blizzard 9 are mentioned).

Although, if the AT-ATs advanced in staggered groups of three or four, with several kilometers in between them, this could explain why we don't see nine at once. So who knows. I certainly hope an Imperial officer wouldn't be dumb enough to lose three AT-ATs through bad maneuvering, but we can't absolutely rule it out.

Well, the conditions and terrain around their landing area and route could have been unexpectedly severe, and maybe they just had some really bad luck...

Vympel wrote:I presupposed it from PH's comment that the TF ships would be the largest vessels present- since they're 3km, the Venators must be smaller. My guess is that they'd be smaller than an ISD, but who can be sure? They might be over 2km for all I know ... but I'd really like to see a big-arse ship.

The TF ships, at 3 kms, are pretty damn big even by SW standards. They're not too well-armed, but they have a lot of mass behind them. Warships that are over a kilometer or two in length could certainly qualify as being main-line warships.

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:Well, the conditions and terrain around their landing area and route could have been unexpectedly severe, and maybe they just had some really bad luck...

Yeah, but it was Starck's fault for taking his walkers through harsher terrain than necessary. Veers took the main assault up an ice flow in a mountain pass; Starck tried to cross the North Ridge directly.


Oh, and I did find where it says Veers shot the generator from <5 miles.

Hey, Rob, what's the gatefold, if there is one?

It's Echo Base. Pretty cool, but not as cool as the LAAT gatefold from EIIICS (although I guess that goes without saying).

Master of Ossus wrote:

Vympel wrote:I presupposed it from PH's comment that the TF ships would be the largest vessels present- since they're 3km, the Venators must be smaller. My guess is that they'd be smaller than an ISD, but who can be sure? They might be over 2km for all I know ... but I'd really like to see a big-arse ship.

The TF ships, at 3 kms, are pretty damn big even by SW standards. They're not too well-armed, but they have a lot of mass behind them. Warships that are over a kilometer or two in length could certainly qualify as being main-line warships.

Pfft. Star Cruisers at best.

They would be close to ten kilometers long, if you bent the "ring" open.

Hmm, do we know the height and width of the ring-section? What is the volume of a TF-ship?

Most important question:

In previous ITW books, there has been a galactic map. Does this one have one that clearly shows the lack of a galaxy based unknown region?

Their is no galactic map provided in this ITW.

Ender wrote:Most important question:

In previous ITW books, there has been a galactic map. Does this one have one that clearly shows the lack of a galaxy based unknown region?

They all do.

And I sincerely doubt Dr. Saxton of all people would invent one.

Illuminatus Primus wrote:

Ender wrote:Most important question:

In previous ITW books, there has been a galactic map. Does this one have one that clearly shows the lack of a galaxy based unknown region?

They all do.

And I sincerely doubt Dr. Saxton of all people would invent one.

You know what I meant. Note my use of the word clearly. I was asking if there was anything utterly unambigious to totally crush argument, such as the galactic halo being labeled the UR or something.

Oh, ok. I thought you were just asking for if there was an omission, which seemed obvious.

I am surprised myself he didn't try to push that in.

There was not enough space on the intro page to include a galactic starmap. There were too many planets (6) to give basic details on, so we will have to wait until the ITW:ROTS book for a new one. Hopefully it will continue to shatter the false belief that the UR are part of the main disc.

Success! I finally purchased the book here in Southern California. After searching four other book stores, I found two at a B. Daltons in Cerritos CA. Either there's a major shipping problem, or this book is flying off the shelves faster than it can be stocked!

This is easily my favorite SW book! I can't believe the levels of intricate detail in it. I haven't had a chance to completely pore through all of its contents, but I'm going to need a magnifyiing glass to do so, in case I miss something! I love the tiny details that tell their own story, like the abandoned crane in the bowels of the Death Star used in its original construction. Then there's the Cantina, Lars Homestead, and Obi-Wan's hut, packed to the gills with stories of their own. In the Lars bedroom, there's a rug that once belonged to Shmi Skywalker. Obi-Wan's hut has a whole lower story with all kinds of interesting knick-knacks spread around.

The detail of the Death Star 2, and the explanation of how one of the battle stations is constructed, was an excellent read. It was so cool to see the Emperor's private office across from the Throne Room, where he meets with dignitaries, which closely resembles his offices on Coruscant! Right now my favorite parts of the book are exploring these dwellings and constructions like the Great Temple, Echo Base, etc. This is so much fun to read through, and see all the EU references sprinkled around. It seems Luceno and Curtis didn't miss one reference, no matter how small!

I'd love to interview Luceno and Saxton about the making of this book!

I have yet to find it in Australia. It's really driving me nuts.

My copy has shipped from Amazon and is on its way. I chose the free shipping option, so it'll take a few days longer than usual to arrive.