this post was submitted on 04 May 2026
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I remember sitting in the theater for Force Awakens. I remember the last preview finished, and I had a sense of excitement, because I didn't know what would happen. It wasn't based on a book or comic, it could be anything.
Then I watched A New Hope, but worse.
I understand it's scifi, but the stupid planet laser is one of the dumbest things Ive ever seen. Was the beam faster than light? Did it go through hyperspace? How'd they focus the laser at stellar distances? Is it a super weapon because it can destroy a couple planets or because it can shoot a mega laser beam through hyperspace or snuff out a star? Idiots.
That, and the bombers in space in The Last Jedi.
I have no problem with the bombers.
From a functional design it works. There's artificial gravity inside the bomb bay and once they fall out of the floor they will continue in space on their inertia.
From a style point of view it works. Space battles in Star Wars was always a love letter to world war 2 dog fights. They are planes in space, not space ships. Always have been.
What about the lasers with bullet drop in the same movie?
I'm not familiar with that.
Important to recognise they don't shoot lasers in Star Wars. Their energy bolts have mass.
Honest question then - would the relatively small rebel (resistance?) ships have enough mass to generate a gravitational field that would have affected those energy bolts? Because they're in the vacuum of space IIRC.
Star Wars is first and foremost a fantasy series, not proper sci fi. Again, I don't know the specific thing being referred to here, but this is a film series where people with magic powers fight with swords. Things that look cool take precedence over things that make scientific sense.
Erm actually it's super heated plasma bolts which still have mass and are affected by gravity. At long range a noticable drop is still possible.