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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Lit MACLUNKY -- The Lit Forum Maclunky Thread, v3

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Point Given , Sep 12, 2015.

  1. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    The broken aesop of Saxon being, "if you take Star Wars too seriously and argue too long about it--you too might someday write for Star Wars."

    :)
     
    mnjedi, cthugha, Gamiel and 2 others like this.
  2. Onderon1

    Onderon1 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2008
    In today's "How close are we to Skynet?" update ... http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-40901393

    I am NOT amused. [face_plain] True, there's not been any particularly disheartening rumbles about AI lately, but this kind of hardware is bad news in any case.

    (And please believe me, I'm not deaf to the argument about sending robots in instead of soldiers. I respect what our folks in uniform give up for our freedom; I just don't trust that this kind of "advancement" is any more helpful toward what should be our ideal goal - solving problems peacefully instead of with violence.)
     
    LelalMekha likes this.
  3. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    Forget Skynet, I'd be worried about the harm malefactors in general could do with that kind of thing. They said it's available for private sale.
     
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  4. blackmyron

    blackmyron Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2005
    That was true in the short term - but in the long term, it caused Saxton to abandon Star Wars completely over something incredibly trivial, because he had to make a principled stand about a make-believe universe.

    Ultimately, it was the people that truly enjoyed putting everything together and engaging with fans - Luceno, Pena, Fry and Wallace - that ended up dominating the latter-day world-building of the EU.
     
  5. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    My problem with robotic soldiers is not that it is replacing flesh and blood soldiers, but that they are used carelessly.
     
    Gamiel likes this.
  6. fett 4

    fett 4 Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2000
    Agreed you need to just sit back chill and listen to some Porg Rock :p
     
    Jedi Knight Fett likes this.
  7. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    What happened there with Saxon and Star Wars? I missed a lot of his stands.
     
  8. cthugha

    cthugha Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 24, 2010
    This is bad, but it's not a big step. I'd be a lot more worried about software progress to make this sort of thing (more) autonomous. Sure, this lowers the threshold for violence by removing humans even farther from the battlefield, but as long as you need a human controller for each drone (and limited distance because of time lag) there's an upper bound on much damage you can do with that.
    Fully autonomous swarms of these things, however, especially if affordable or easily reverse-engineered... that's actual apocalypse material.
     
    Gamiel likes this.
  9. Gamiel

    Gamiel Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Dec 16, 2012
    Just found out about the old EU's Colossus Wasp and I have to say that I'm disappointed that they only have one appearance

    [​IMG]
     
  10. vncredleader

    vncredleader Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 28, 2016
    Tales of the Jedi was so freaking creative
     
  11. GrandAdmiralJello

    GrandAdmiralJello Comms Admin ❉ Moderator Communitatis Litterarumque star 10 Staff Member Administrator

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2000
    Karl0413, vncredleader and LelalMekha like this.
  12. blackmyron

    blackmyron Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2005
    One of his last public comments was regarding his work on the Inside the Worlds, after he took exception to LFL implying that Endor's moon wasn't ruined:
    "I would have quit the project and demanded anonymity for my role if the irrationalists had succeeded in inserting anything that gave the impression that Endor is "saved". I consider this a "red line" issue of intellectual integrity. Non-negotiable. "
    A post dated 2006 by one his followers indicated that Saxton told him "he no longer had anything to do with [the DK books]".

    So... yeah, it's been over a decade. [face_laugh]
     
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  13. LelalMekha

    LelalMekha Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2012
    Well not to beat a dead horse, but yes... reallistically speaking, Endor should have been devastated. But canonically, it did not. That ship has sailed.
     
  14. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    The Death Star disappears when it explodes anyway.
     
  15. LelalMekha

    LelalMekha Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2012
    Not entirely, obviously, since the Rebels deployed an array of shields and tractor beams to protect Endor from falling debris. Besides, substantial chunks of the Death Star were recovered and offered to the surviving Alderaanians.
     
  16. cthugha

    cthugha Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 24, 2010
    This is one of my favorite things from the old EU. Sometimes I feel like IMPRESSIVE BIG THINGS are really all I want from Star Wars. (Obviously, Dark Empire I & II are my absolute favorites, but TotJ also did that sort of thing really well on occasion.)
     
    Daneira, Gamiel, Jedi Ben and 2 others like this.
  17. Vthuil

    Vthuil Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 3, 2013
    Well, that cheered me up. Thanks.
     
  18. fett 4

    fett 4 Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2000
    In the wake of real life news, I feel this should be mentioned. Whether in Space or on Earth, Nazis are bad people and you should not emulate them.
     
  19. AdmiralWesJanson

    AdmiralWesJanson Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    May 23, 2005
    Nor should you respond to their provocations with a moral equivalence argument :mad:
     
  20. fett 4

    fett 4 Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2000
    Yeah I couldn't believe that when I watched it but then since they are his voters and key supporters, maybe I shouldn't be that surprised.
     
    Jedi Knight Fett likes this.
  21. DARTH_MU

    DARTH_MU Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 9, 2005
    well, If the city had just left the statue there? Then it wouldn't even be any issue. It gave everyone an excuse.
     
  22. Charlemagne19

    Charlemagne19 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Jul 30, 2000
    The excuse to kill people with a car driven by a Nazi.

    Yeah....they should make a public holiday of breaking the statue with sledgehammers as a memorial.
     
  23. DARTH_MU

    DARTH_MU Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 9, 2005
    yeah some crazy did it if it was intentional. Which it looks like it was.
    What I mean is:

    Crazys: Let's go march somewhere.
    Other Crazys: Um why?
    Crazy: I.... don't know. Just do it.
    Other Crazys: Nah, I got like stuff to do this week.

    Then there wouldn't be any marches/countermarches and all he/she could have done is crash his/her own vehicle and hurt him/herself instead of others.
     
  24. fett 4

    fett 4 Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Jan 2, 2000
    Even taking out the car (terrorist) attack out of the equation or even the other violence. A Mob with torches marching/surrounding and intimidating some protestors is not ok
     
  25. DARTH_MU

    DARTH_MU Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 9, 2005
    It's not.
    Why were they even there? The city wanted to take down a statue that was already there, built. I mean they had to budget for a crane, a sledge hammer or something and that's tax money. Why not fix a road instead?
    It was provocative on the City's part. As I said, it gave the crazys an excuse.