Watch Star Wars Episode VII's First Official Trailer Right Here

[Rellik San]

Can anyone enlighten me as to exactly which version of the X-Wing those fighters are, as the wing span and engine intakes aren't in line the T-65 model we see in the original trilogy.

They're new, the old EU is GONE as far as this movie is concerned. Those x wings are something new that Abram's people came up with.

I dunno, from what I've seen they are taking elements from it, it's more just the over arching story that's gone but a lot of the tech and universe building that was done seems to be kept in tact.

 

[Brian Tams]

I honestly think that the lightsaber longsword looks the way it does as a sort of callback to actual medieval swords. Like, perhaps the person wielding it some kind of ancient sith hundreds of years old, or the lightsaber itself could be a sith relic that was found by someone. It would also explain the weird look to the energy blade, since older tech would be less efficient.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

Take a break from arguing about the crossguard and watch this 'Special Edition' remix of the trailer. Man, I nearly died laughing.

 

[Boba Frag]

*sighs* Sooo many people using the words 'broadsword' (a 17th century Scottish sword, not medieval one), and claymore (a large 16th century two handed sword designed with fighting pike formations in mind) in reference to that rather odd looking lightsaber.

Yeah, I hate it when people use common parlance to describe something in a way the general public will immediately recognise. I mean, what do they think language is? Some sort of living set of rules defined largely by culture? No! That's why we speak exactly as we did when those swords were in widespread use.

Excuse me, but if you'd take that attitude with misconceptions about your own field (mine is history) then that's your business.

Misconceptions about nomenclature are where misconceptions and stereotypes take root and most of my time is spent correcting these errors, honestly made, in an effort to undo the damage that hollywood and video games have only perpetuated.

So, thank you for the juvenile sarcasm, but no thanks.

My God, this thread represents everything I can't stand about this site and the unbearable pseudo-intellectual cynicism that's affecting everything about games I used to like.

 

[Alma Mare]

*sighs* Sooo many people using the words 'broadsword' (a 17th century Scottish sword, not medieval one), and claymore (a large 16th century two handed sword designed with fighting pike formations in mind) in reference to that rather odd looking lightsaber.

Yeah, I hate it when people use common parlance to describe something in a way the general public will immediately recognise. I mean, what do they think language is? Some sort of living set of rules defined largely by culture? No! That's why we speak exactly as we did when those swords were in widespread use.

Excuse me, but if you'd take that attitude with misconceptions about your own field (mine is history) then that's your business.

Misconceptions about nomenclature are where misconceptions and stereotypes take root and most of my time is spent correcting these errors, honestly made, in an effort to undo the damage that hollywood and video games have only perpetuated.

So, thank you for the juvenile sarcasm, but no thanks.

My God, this thread represents everything I can't stand about this site and the unbearable pseudo-intellectual cynicism that's affecting everything about games I used to like.

Oh my god, these filthy peasents and their lack of expertise on medieval weapon nomenclature!! How unrobust. I shall spend most of my time endeavouring to purge these grievous misconceptions from my space opera debate!

 

[Boba Frag]

*sighs* Sooo many people using the words 'broadsword' (a 17th century Scottish sword, not medieval one), and claymore (a large 16th century two handed sword designed with fighting pike formations in mind) in reference to that rather odd looking lightsaber.

Yeah, I hate it when people use common parlance to describe something in a way the general public will immediately recognise. I mean, what do they think language is? Some sort of living set of rules defined largely by culture? No! That's why we speak exactly as we did when those swords were in widespread use.

Excuse me, but if you'd take that attitude with misconceptions about your own field (mine is history) then that's your business.

Misconceptions about nomenclature are where misconceptions and stereotypes take root and most of my time is spent correcting these errors, honestly made, in an effort to undo the damage that hollywood and video games have only perpetuated.

So, thank you for the juvenile sarcasm, but no thanks.

My God, this thread represents everything I can't stand about this site and the unbearable pseudo-intellectual cynicism that's affecting everything about games I used to like.

Oh my god, these filthy peasents and their lack of expertise on medieval weapon nomenclature!! How unrobust. I shall spend most of my time endeavouring to purge these grievous misconceptions from my space opera debate!

And thanks for reminding why I should never engage with anyone on the Escapist forums any more.

I also suggest you open a book once in a while.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I really don't understand the lightsaber hate. Is that really where people draw the line? It's a freakin' Star Wars movie. Lightsabers are fun. They've never been practical. AT ALL. So what if the lightsaber has crossguards? Why don't you simply assume that the guy knows how to use it? That seems to make the most sense since he probably didn't just order a random lightsaber from eBay. These people build their own lightsabers. They know what they're doing.

Like, perhaps the person wielding it some kind of ancient sith hundreds of years old

It's Darth Revan. Mark my words. Abrams is a giant Star Wars nerd and a gamer. Why else would Disney out of the blue announce that the Extended Universe is non-canon, unless they wanted to use something or someone from that universe in a movie? If that isn't Revan I'll eat a live spider.

 

[Alma Mare]

*sighs* Sooo many people using the words 'broadsword' (a 17th century Scottish sword, not medieval one), and claymore (a large 16th century two handed sword designed with fighting pike formations in mind) in reference to that rather odd looking lightsaber.

Yeah, I hate it when people use common parlance to describe something in a way the general public will immediately recognise. I mean, what do they think language is? Some sort of living set of rules defined largely by culture? No! That's why we speak exactly as we did when those swords were in widespread use.

Excuse me, but if you'd take that attitude with misconceptions about your own field (mine is history) then that's your business.

Misconceptions about nomenclature are where misconceptions and stereotypes take root and most of my time is spent correcting these errors, honestly made, in an effort to undo the damage that hollywood and video games have only perpetuated.

So, thank you for the juvenile sarcasm, but no thanks.

My God, this thread represents everything I can't stand about this site and the unbearable pseudo-intellectual cynicism that's affecting everything about games I used to like.

Oh my god, these filthy peasents and their lack of expertise on medieval weapon nomenclature!! How unrobust. I shall spend most of my time endeavouring to purge these grievous misconceptions from my space opera debate!

And thanks for reminding why I should never engage with anyone on the Escapist forums any more.

I also suggest you open a book once in a while.

And you have the gall to call others on pseudo-intellectual cynicism. Comedy gold. Now run along, you have ignorant masses to educate and I have light-claymores to ***** about.

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

Wiki states that all of the weight is contained within the 1kg hilt, part of the reason they're so difficult to wield:

"one of them being that all of the weight a lightsaber had was in its hilt, and the gyroscopic effect caused resistance to changes in motion, or built up momentum so quickly than an untrained wielder could lose control of the weapon." Which would tie more in with the prequal trilogies where they're all flipping out ninja gaiden style.

The thing is, there's EU lore, there's whatever Lucas and co said at any given time (clearly they didn't think through any of this before filming, and theirs was a world without teh internetz hyper-analyzing everything ever all the time... ), then there's what's on screen, and in animation, and in videogames. There's zero consistency, although, actually, pretty much everything I've seen supports the 'we're treating them as weighted' aesthetic. Lightsaber properties and technique just change at the whim of whoever's pulling the strings.

Personally, as I mostly only care about the films? I just think of the blades as weighted to some degree, as barely any of the techniques are actually designed around a lack of weight.

I immediately saw what's effectively a religious Cross, made out of evil lookin' red energy...

So Disney's saying Christianity are the bad guys?

I don't know, if we're going down the pareidolia route, it doesn't seem a stretch to go a little further.

Oh, absolutely. Sith as evil space-Christians is a given, now.

Take a break from arguing about the crossguard and watch this 'Special Edition' remix of the trailer. Man, I nearly died laughing.

That is awesome. Saw the multi-multi blade/crossguard saber coming, but still laughed.

 

[loa]

I really don't understand the lightsaber hate. Is that really where people draw the line?

Yes. Suspension of disbelief is not an infinite resource.

 

[SAMAS]

I got some major Dam Busters vibes from the low-altitude X-Wings. Though I feel if they are going full Dam Busters, they should've gone with the Y-Wing seeing as that's the bomber.

That would be appropriate, had they not already done that in '77.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Yes. Suspension of disbelief is not an infinite resource.

I don't buy that excuse. This is primarily a gaming website. People here are used to weird shit that doesn't make any sense. I think people are hating everything about the new Star Wars because that's the accepted norm within the geek community these days. Nobody expects this to be good, so everything about it is negative and exaggerated. Basically, people think it's cool to find flaws in an easy target and then ***** about it. Some of them are even complaining about the fact that a teaser didn't reveal much. IT'S A TEASER!

 

[Something Amyss]

Look, I was just trying to illustrate why hand protection would be nice.

And you did so by using the equivalent of a scene where you claim a bulletproof vest would have helped against a head shot. Do you not see why this is wrong?

Whether that one specific example would have benefitted from a cross guard isn't really that important, clearly you can see the value in having something to protect your hands (and the hilt of your weapon) without me needed to present anecdotal cases?

Been down this road already in this thread. This isn't really a decent protective measure and the one instance anyone could mention where it might have saved someone's hand in the movies is one where they would have simply cut through the crosspiece as well. And we've seen that happen with Darth Maul. I actually would see the benefit of something that was designed to protect your hands, but part of the problem is, this ain't it.

Look, the argument shouldn't even be about the practicality of space magic laser swords, but if you're going to bring up such things, I'll point 'em out.

Excuse me, but if you'd take that attitude with misconceptions about your own field (mine is history) then that's your business.

I do all the time, because otherwise I'd spend my entire life arguing about electronics, computers, optics, and writing. I'd much rather have some free time to argue about the importance of laser crossguards. Seriously, the guy who just fixed my stove knew nothing about electricity. Now, I could have sat there arguing about electricity, possibly giving him a lesson on it, but he was getting paid an hourly wage and I wanted my stove fixed. I also honestly don't care if the guy at my garage knows music or acoustics, or if the pharmacist can identify the parts in the computer he uses to look up my medications. I also don't think I've ever been to a movie or watched a TV show where I've been bothered by a misuse of technical terms unless the presentation claimed accuracy (that King Arthur movie that was advertised with unprecedented historicity, for example). Though I did burst out laughing at the "two people hacking on the same keyboard" thing from NCIS.

My father's got two degrees in history, for the record, and managed to not have a cow when I used an informal term informally.

Misconceptions about nomenclature are where misconceptions and stereotypes take root and most of my time is spent correcting these errors, honestly made, in an effort to undo the damage that hollywood and video games have only perpetuated.

The notion of a broadsword not being a basket-hilt weapon is not a Hollywood issue. Use of such terminology goes back a couple centuries at this point, and the same applies (possibly even more so) for the word "claymore." You should be taking issue with yourself right now.

So, thank you for the juvenile sarcasm, but no thanks.

My God, this thread represents everything I can't stand about this site and the unbearable pseudo-intellectual cynicism that's affecting everything about games I used to like.

You came in complaining about something that actually might manage to be more pedantic than the actual discussion going on, so maybe you shouldn't try and take the moral high ground. You seem more agitated than the people fervently arguing over whether or not the additional lasers on a magic laser sword affect its practicality.

Yes. Suspension of disbelief is not an infinite resource.

I'm not even sure it's suspension of disbelief. This just looked dumb.

Personally, as I mostly only care about the films? I just think of the blades as weighted to some degree, as barely any of the techniques are actually designed around a lack of weight.

Hell, they're not really used in a way consistent with their nature, anyway. If you want to get nasty, just flick off and reactivate your saber (a technique mentioned in some of the RPGs).

I think they're mostly treated as weighted because the props they use, at least for the old movies, have a big tube attached to them. I don't remember if the new ones still use a tube or if it's all digital now. I wouldn't be surprised at the latter. But I've got to say, it'd be harder to have a lightsaber battle that way, and it's just not as satisfying to swing a sword-like weapon without a blade.

 

[kael013]

Yes. Suspension of disbelief is not an infinite resource.

I don't buy that excuse. This is primarily a gaming website. People here are used to weird shit that doesn't make any sense. I think people are hating everything about the new Star Wars because that's the accepted norm within the geek community these days.

Yes, that's exactly right. We're all hating on the lightsaber design not out of genuine derision, but because we all want to be "hip". You've caught us.

Doesn't explain why we aren't ripping the rest of the teaser to shreds though. I mean, aside from two or three complaints, do you see anyone bitching about the stormtrooper scene? How about the Falcon? The X-wings? No, because they. were. [i/]fucking[/i]. cool.

[quote/]Some of them are even complaining about the fact that a teaser didn't reveal much. IT'S A TEASER![/quote]
To be fair, I can think of alot of recent trailers (movie and videogame) that told me fuck all about the product - Interstellar, for one. With that in mind, it's easy to see how people would start associating the terms.

 

[Daaaah Whoosh]

I am really starting to wonder who's on what side in these movies. After all, the Rebels supposedly 'won', right? So I'm fine with there being Stormtroopers and X-Wings again, I just want to know who the bad guys are, and why they are that way, rather than "it's cool, just go with it".

Also, stupid lightsaber is stupid. It's a weapon made of light, effectively weightless on the blade, you really shouldn't be modeling it off of heavy weapons.

Also, I really, really hope these random characters are the main focus. It looks to me like only one of them would fight with a sword, which might mean we actually get blaster battles again.

 

[Darks63]

It looks interesting, and they can't really go anywhere but up from here due to the prequel series.

I'm not sure. That lightsaber broadsword made me absolutely cringe. It's quite possible to do worse than the prequel series.

Agreed the broadsaber and the saberstaffs, while cool looking, are more dangerous to the user than their opponent.

 

[Daaaah Whoosh]

Also, stupid lightsaber is stupid. It's a weapon made of light, effectively weightless on the blade, you really shouldn't be modeling it off of heavy weapons.

It's not stupid. Pommel is the counterweight, not the crossguard. Crossguard is to protect your fingers. I'm actually surprised lightsabers didnt have it before. Why would you not have a crossguard on a sword like that?

I'm fine with the idea of a crossguard, it's just the one he's using reminds me a lot of big, meaty, two-handed swords. I think of lightsabers more like rapiers or other light, thin weapons, and as far as I can tell the kinds of attacks you could pull off with a weapon as light as a lightsaber won't be easily blocked by a one-dimensional guard.

 

[Olas]

Look, I was just trying to illustrate why hand protection would be nice.

And you did so by using the equivalent of a scene where you claim a bulletproof vest would have helped against a head shot. Do you not see why this is wrong?

Look, I don't see why you're making such a fuss over this, but for the record I see that as a false equivalence. I didn't illustrate the importance of hand protection with an image of someone's foot getting cut off, I illustrated the importance of hand protection with someone's hand getting cut off. The fact that Darth Vader swung in from a specific direction that would have circumvented a cross guard, which you'd almost have to watch the scene frame by frame to even notice, doesn't change my point.

But if it'll make you shut up

Whether that one specific example would have benefitted from a cross guard isn't really that important, clearly you can see the value in having something to protect your hands (and the hilt of your weapon) without me needed to present anecdotal cases?

Been down this road already in this thread. This isn't really a decent protective measure and the one instance anyone could mention where it might have saved someone's hand in the movies is one where they would have simply cut through the crosspiece as well. And we've seen that happen with Darth Maul. I actually would see the benefit of something that was designed to protect your hands, but part of the problem is, this ain't it.

I said, in my first post, in the portion that you cut out, right underneath the picture of Luke, that the guard would need to join with the main beam and not simply be attached at the hilt. So you're not saying anything that I didn't already point out.

Look, the argument shouldn't even be about the practicality of space magic laser swords, but if you're going to bring up such things, I'll point 'em out.

I didn't bring it up, other people have been bantering about it pretty much since the start of the thread, I just replied to someone else who was already talking about it.

 

[Brian Tams]

I really don't understand the lightsaber hate. Is that really where people draw the line? It's a freakin' Star Wars movie. Lightsabers are fun. They've never been practical. AT ALL. So what if the lightsaber has crossguards? Why don't you simply assume that the guy knows how to use it? That seems to make the most sense since he probably didn't just order a random lightsaber from eBay. These people build their own lightsabers. They know what they're doing.

Like, perhaps the person wielding it some kind of ancient sith hundreds of years old

It's Darth Revan. Mark my words. Abrams is a giant Star Wars nerd and a gamer. Why else would Disney out of the blue announce that the Extended Universe is non-canon, unless they wanted to use something or someone from that universe in a movie? If that isn't Revan I'll eat a live spider.

Disney cutting the old EU loose was purely financial. By getting rid of the old stuff, they are now free to make a new EU, which means more books/comic books/games/toys/etc. to sell.

If that turns out to be Revan, I don't know if I'd applaud or facepalm. Probably both.

 

[killerbee256]

Can anyone enlighten me as to exactly which version of the X-Wing those fighters are, as the wing span and engine intakes aren't in line the T-65 model we see in the original trilogy.

They're new, the old EU is GONE as far as this movie is concerned. Those x wings are something new that Abram's people came up with.

I dunno, from what I've seen they are taking elements from it, it's more just the over arching story that's gone but a lot of the tech and universe building that was done seems to be kept in tact.

For what it's worth the old EU did talk about new versions of the X-wing, but in the old EU the major change was the astromech slot was removed and those functions were integrated in a computer built into the X-wing.