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Episode VII: The Force Awakens - Discussion * SPOILER THREAD * — Page 158

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timdiggerm said:

ATMachine said:

Tobar said:

I found his new saber sounds quite interesting. The three prong design is still idiotic though.

 It's the sort of thing a fanboy would design while thinking it looks hella cool.

 How do you feel about Maul's?

 Darth Maul is the only reason I bother with TPM. Yeah, the acrobatics are a little impractical, and too choreographed, but I don't feel the weapon is impractical.

I think nunchaku sabers are impractical

Though TFA's 3 blade saber is still pretty stupid.

"The other versions will disappear. Even the 35 million tapes of Star Wars out there won’t last more than 30 or 40 years. A hundred years from now, the only version of the movie that anyone will remember will be the DVD version [of the Special Edition], and you’ll be able to project it on a 20’ by 40’ screen with perfect quality. I think it’s the director’s prerogative, not the studio’s to go back and reinvent a movie." - George Lucas

<span> </span>

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I didn't care for the cross guard mostly because of the fatal flaw that the emitters of the cross guard are wide open to be cut off and therefore kinda pointless. But the idea of a classical Medieval European styled light saber is pretty cool imo. And then, I saw this toy image.

http://www.jeditemplearchives.com/news/images2015b/KyloRen_thumb.jpg

I don't know if it does that in the movie (we certainly haven't seen any evidence it does, and none of the other toys have that energy arc protecting the emitters). But if it does, that solves the one genuine complaint I had with it. In fact, I'm all for using other ancient hand to hand weapons as inspiration for new light saber designs. I still think that light sabers over all should be rare and a thing of great mystery and power like they were in the OT, but we can still have variety too...

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That toy makes it much better. Hopefully it does something like that in the movie too.

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Maybe he could have the emitter cut off in the film and he improves it with the energy arc.

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Cobert explained it months ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DazDi3yk4bw starting at 4 mins

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canofhumdingers said:

I didn't care for the cross guard mostly because of the fatal flaw that the emitters of the cross guard are wide open to be cut off and therefore kinda pointless. But the idea of a classical Medieval European styled light saber is pretty cool imo.

I kinda like the medieval aesthetic, myself. Still, if they were going to go that route, they should have made the crossguard a literal crossguard, made out a lightsaber-resistant metal.

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timdiggerm said:

DuracellEnergizer said:

a lightsaber-resistant metal.

 ugh

My sentiments exactly. I'm a huge fan of the Knights of the Old Republic games which, being an RPG, had to allow characters to defend themselves against Lightsabers rather than having an instant death, so introduced the concept of 'Cortosis' vibroblades and armour. It served as an in-game explanation for why your opponents weren't falling in half, but it's still dumb and has no place in the movies.

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Well, products are getting leaked like crazy, so I don't even know what is worth posting anymore - it's out there if you want to see it. Out of today's leaks, though, this image of a calendar was probably most worthwhile:

http://i.imgur.com/6qCnGhh.jpg

It has some images that I don't think we've seen before. I'm partial to that one of 3P0/R2/BB-8 - I think it's cool to see all three together. 

Also, if people care, this visual spoilerboard is pretty up to date and seemingly very accurate. (I've personally still only ventured into the first part, though, because I don't want toooo much spoiled): 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByQR6taehVh7MUdKLWdLRUx5eG8/view?pli=1

I would say that the picture of the Stormtrooper running in the market-type setting basically confirms some of the scenes that that spoilerboard says. 

Regarding the lightsaber,  I'm mostly amused at how much consternation it's causing. It's fine, and, if the working assumption that Kylo built it himself with minimal training is correct, I think it fits perfectly. To each their own, but I really don't think it's worth making a big deal out of

May the Force be with you.

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brash_stryker said:

timdiggerm said:

DuracellEnergizer said:

a lightsaber-resistant metal.

 ugh

My sentiments exactly. I'm a huge fan of the Knights of the Old Republic games which, being an RPG, had to allow characters to defend themselves against Lightsabers rather than having an instant death, so introduced the concept of 'Cortosis' vibroblades and armour. It served as an in-game explanation for why your opponents weren't falling in half, but it's still dumb and has no place in the movies.

Different strokes for different folks. Frankly, I'm not keen on the idea that the lightsaber is some omnipotent weapon that can cut through everything in existence.

Oh, and JFTR, lightsaber-resistant materials in the EU predate KOTOR by many, many years.

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Judging by the hilt on the toy version, it seems possible that the two emitters on the crossguard are meant to do the job of protecting the hand, while also providing two additional smaller blades protruding a tright angles.

Of course, that could be totally wrong! I am judging this from a tiny piece of plastic, after all.

I do recall that Ralph McQuarrie's early saber hilt designs were based on flashlights with flared rims -- for the exact reason that that would make a good handguard. (Probably it was dropped because that design wouldn't fit very well on a utility belt.)

“That Darth Vader, man. Sure does love eating Jedi.”

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Presumably there must be saber-proof materials otherwise the sword hilt would melt at the projector end and fall to pieces.

Having the cross-guard like that is a bit like having a razor sharp handle for a razor.

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Of course, if a lightsaber can cut through anything except another saber, what would be the point of making the crossguard out of anything but more lightsabers?

You'd just have to be careful to make the cross-emitters stick out far enough horizontally so you don't burn your hand off. :D

“That Darth Vader, man. Sure does love eating Jedi.”

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Bingowings said:

Having the cross-guard like that is a bit like having a razor sharp handle for a razor.


Maybe. But most truly effective hand to hand weapons are extremely dangerous to the user. I can speak from personal experience having fenced all four years of college and practiced various Japanese sword arts for the last decade. Swords (and knives, spears, etc.) are DANGEROUS. It takes years and years just to begin to get competent, much less truly skilled. The cross guard, imo, doesn't drastically increase the danger of an already VERY dangerous weapon.

And this guy made some videos that support my opinion:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wheoetJXv3U

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PLzvznM2dDo

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Bingowings said:

Presumably there must be saber-proof materials otherwise the sword hilt would melt at the projector end and fall to pieces.

Having the cross-guard like that is a bit like having a razor sharp handle for a razor.

From what I always gathered from reading supplemental books and articles back in the day (not sure how much those can be relied upon now with Disney reclassifying what is canon) the positioning of the crystal had to be so precise, that even a micron out of line and the handle would explode upon activation. This certainly suggests to me that from the crystal upwards, the blade isn't in contact with the inside of the hilt at all, though that's just my interpretation of it.

You're spot on about the cross-guard. The "it's just like a sword" argument doesn't take into account that the cross-guard on a sword can't itself murder you. But I'm willing to suspend some of my disbelief when the wielder has magical awareness and reflexes :)

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^The bit about the positioning of the crystal is still canon, it was hinted at in a Clone Wars episode and then explicitly described in Heir to the Jedi. I find it kind of funny that all these months after that first teaser dropped we've circled back around to debating the merits of the crossguard hilt.

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He has awareness, Kylo built and chose to use it. There is a guy who swung a sword with crossguards and it never touched his body.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLzvznM2dDo

Also under the video on his youtube account he commented:

... My theory due to the fact Jet Cooper the cross-guard lightsaber designer on behalf of J.J Abrams and team as well sent me an email thanking me for making this video and a conversion I will not disclose, is it is an artifact from the ancient history of the Sith and Jedi when they wore armour it would have a ancient style not used anymore associated with it much like the regular Lightsaber styles are based on the Japanese Katana it would be based on European Longsword or bastard swords.

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TV's Frink said:

Oh good, this again.

JEDIT: Oh good, this again too.

Life is cyclical. 

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ATMachine said:

Judging by the hilt on the toy version, it seems possible that the two emitters on the crossguard are meant to do the job of protecting the hand, while also providing two additional smaller blades protruding a tright angles.

Of course, that could be totally wrong! I am judging this from a tiny piece of plastic, after all.

I do recall that Ralph McQuarrie's early saber hilt designs were based on flashlights with flared rims -- for the exact reason that that would make a good handguard. (Probably it was dropped because that design wouldn't fit very well on a utility belt.)

 Or maybe they were worried they would look like flashlights. ;)

Where were you in '77?

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Someone present for the desert filming leaked a terrible quality video:

http://makingstarwars.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Leaked-footage-of-Star-Wars-Episode-VII-The-Force-Awakens-filming-in-UAE..mp4

I imagine they'll be able to identify him, on account of there being other cameras rolling and his location on the set being obvious.  his face being in the video.

Nothing terribly interesting that I noticed, but I'm sure people will look at every frame of it and find something. Probably recorded by the same person that snapped a bunch of photos of extras on that set that leaked last year.

edit: I guess you hear Finn and Rey speaking for the first time. Sort of. Here is my transcription of their dialogue:

"We gotta move!"

"Wjhoald ahlfada"

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Wasn't there also a rumor Harrison was signed for the next film though?

Where were you in '77?

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SilverWook said:

Wasn't there also a rumor Harrison was signed for the next film though?

 Haven't heard that. There was Oscar accidentally admitting he (Oscar) was in VIII, and then trying and failing to invalidate his comment.