A&A The Official Daniel Wallace Discussion Thread

Dan, do you know if the Guide to Vechicles will have the same great art that your book had? Or someone new? Doug Chaing did a great job in the original guide.

 

Good news for you; both of my Borders have sold out of Coruscant and the Core Worlds. Must be a good read, because that's never happened before on any Star Wars book I've gone to buy, main-stream novels included.

 

Hi everybody... Lengthy reply to follow. I hadn't checked the thread in a bit and was (pleasantly) surprised to see all the Qs.

TalonCard wrote:
I have a comment and a question. I was really pleased with Bevel Limelisk's bio in TNEGTC. Instead of copping out, and saying that the Geonosions designed the Death Star, and that Limelisk worked on it later, you've added to his back story so that he could still be the main designer of the Death Star. That was great.

Thanks...but you want to hear something funny? It wasn't my original intention at all. As you may know the Death Star scene was a last-minute addition to Episode II, and it didn't appear in any of the scripts I read when I was writing the NEGC. I'd originally placed Bevel on Geonosis simply because I was wondering what the guy might have been doing during AOTC, and thinking that he might have found work (and kindred spirits) among the weapons-manufacturing Geonosians. Only later, after I'd turned in the manuscript, did I learn of the Death Star scene -- and then of course I didn't change anything, because it all fit in so well. I guess the Force was with me.

Question, though: will the rather contorted design history of the Death Star be dealt with in more detail in The New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels? All the pieces to the puzzle are there, I'd just like to see the dots connected officially (is that a mixed metaphor or what?)

I'm not sure about the NEGVV (it's Haden's department) but that certainly seems like a puzzler just crying out for Expanded Universe dissection and explanation. Although I tend to agree with Excellence that it shouldn't be attempted until Episode III finishes the puzzle. (Who knows, maybe they start building it in Episode III. Eek.)

Excellence wrote:
Hey Dan, I forgot to ask you this. The famous Mon Cal Star Cruiser Home One seems to be 1200m. That's been said to be the official diameter, but I was just wondering if it could be undermeasured, seeing it's sheer length in Episode 6 compared to other Star Cruisers there. It's also undergunned for something of its size, so with its many fighter squadrons would it be a fighter carrier?

Also, the Super Star Destroyer was 8km, but now it's been revised to 12.8km. That's the new and correct measurement, is it not?

You've really got me on the Home One, and again I'll have to defer to Haden Blackman, whose NEGVV will be out later this year. The SW trivia in my head tends toward historical continuity and I tend to fumble for my reference books when discussing things like ship lengths.

The length of the Executor is one of those radioactive issues among certain fans, but Lucasfilm's new position seems to be that she's 12.8 kilometers long, not 8km.

I'll grant that it's a convoluted pathway, fitting the movies into the EU---and that's without adding this Kyle Katarn character and the blueprints pathway!

Ah! "Who had the Death Star plans and when?" is possibly the most convoluted bit of SWEU ever created.

In fact, were I to make a list of the top three of all time, it might go something like:

1) Who had the Death Star plans and when?
2) Who designed & built the Death Star and when?
3) So what about that bounty hunter on Ord Mantell?

I tried to address all three to some degree in the Essential Chronology and the NEGC, but some of them are probably due for a revamp.

I just thought of a #4:

4) Who stole the Tydirium and how?

Will the new Vehicles & Vessels expand upon ships in the old guide, as well (like the new X-wings in the NJO, updates of the Millenium Falcon, etc.)?

And will it feature ships that were in Bantam books released after the first Vehicle Guide?

Yes to both, but it's been a while since I saw the text and I can't answer specifics. Haden Blackman and the editors at Del Rey and Lucasfilm selected the ships that were included.

Wedge88

 

When I said "your book" I was refering to The New Essential Guide to Characters with the wonderful art done by Michael Sutfin (points to icon <--). I know Bill Smith did the original Guide to V&V, and I listened to an interview with him over on Chrono Radio a few weeks ago.

Sorry for the confusion. I was just thinking back on the original V&V book and remembered the great art in that book as well, and commented on it. I should have made my question more clear. Thanks for all the info though.

 

Mr. Wallace, does the the "New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels" feature an updated entry for Slave I? In the novel Slave Ship, Slave I was said to be built by Kuat of Kuat's technicians. In the new game Bounty Hunter, we see that Jango Fett acquires the Slave I in a different manner. I was hoping that the NEGVV would have an entry that would clear up this discrepancy.

Also, you mentioned this in your last post in regards to the Death Star: (Who knows, maybe they start building it in Episode III. Eek.)

If that does happen, what kind of effect do you think it would have on the EU? It just seems to me that coming up with a fix for that would be extremely complicated, but I have no doubts that you people could pull it off. (Should you ever need to!)

Thanks.

 

I don't think Dan is really aware of the current status of the New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels. As he has stated, that's Haden Blackman's department.

 

I don't think Dan is really aware of the current status of the New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels. As he has stated, that's Haden Blackman's department.

Doesn't hurt to ask.

 

I don't know if this has been asked (so bear with me) but what went into the decision-making process of who should and who shouldn't go in the New Essential Guide to Characters? What were some of the "almost" characters (besides the guys at the end)?

 

Hey Dan, being the continuity guru that you are *bows down* I was wondering if there was a fix needed to reconcile Anakin balancing the force and in your own words in NEGtC "Killing the greatest evil the galaxy had ever known."

Basically it's this...

It takes Palpatine 20 years of darkside sorcery to shift the balance of the force from light to dark, the Jedi are blinded and destroyed. Dark is stronger than light.

Enter the Chosen One, Anakin "kills" Palpatine, ensures the victory of the rebel fleet (the Emperor was force coordinating the fleet, Anakin destroying that was a huge part of the rebel victory p 49-51 of Heir to Empire), creating holes in the Imperial defence fleet, lowering moral, TIE fighter performance, and balances the force while at it.

Palpatine lives, but because he's no longer "alive" all his darkside sorcery is undone while he floats back to Byss because he can't control it, force is balanced, yay.

Emperor returns, Luke and Leia kill him and destroy his best Clones, forces him to take a sabotaged one from Carnor Jax.

Emperor returns again, is doomed anyway since he's only got one body left. Is shot, and his spirit is contained in Brand.

Here's the tricky part, because Anakin balanced the force, Palpatine is no longer able to escape the "Madness beyond dying", all of the Jedi and the lightside will forever bind Palpatine and ensure he never returns.

He isn't able to escape because the force is balanced. Think about it, if the darkside was stronger than the light, and Anakin had not balanced the force. NOTHING could keep Palpatine's spirit from returning.

So is that an EU fix worthy of the master or what?

 

Nichos_Marr wrote:
Mr. Wallace, does the the "New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels" feature an updated entry for Slave I? In the novel Slave Ship, Slave I was said to be built by Kuat of Kuat's technicians. In the new game Bounty Hunter, we see that Jango Fett acquires the Slave I in a different manner. I was hoping that the NEGVV would have an entry that would clear up this discrepancy.

I know that the Slave I is covered, but I'm not sure the degree to which Haden got into the Bounty Hunter Wars history.

Also, you mentioned this in your last post in regards to the Death Star: (Who knows, maybe they start building it in Episode III. Eek.)

If that does happen, what kind of effect do you think it would have on the EU? It just seems to me that coming up with a fix for that would be extremely complicated, but I have no doubts that you people could pull it off. (Should you ever need to!)

Oh, I'm sure a fix could be put together in some way, considering that Boba Fett's history has survived AOTC relatively intact and that we've even got an EU fix for Palpatine's "this Republic which has stood for a thousand years" line.

KansasNavy wrote:
I don't know if this has been asked (so bear with me) but what went into the decision-making process of who should and who shouldn't go in the New Essential Guide to Characters? What were some of the "almost" characters (besides the guys at the end)?

In selecting characters, I placed a heavy emphasis on characters who had had their bios updated significantly since the first edition of the EGC, and also tried to select characters from a wide range of projects and media. A lot of characters made it into the Appendix. If I had to do it over again, one thing I definitely would have done would be to include a full entry for Tahiri, knowing what kind of fan base she has.

masterskywalker, I like your theory on bringing balance to the Force. Then again, I also like the rather gloomy theory brought up by Kevin Rubio in one of his Tales stories -- namely that the Sith currently number two and the Jedi number ten thousand. After Anakin does his thing, the Sith still number two and so do the Jedi (i.e. Yoda and Obi-Wan). Voila--balance!

Dan

 

Thanks Dan! I really like that they brought the Emperor back so that the next generation of Skywalkers could fight him, but I also love the powerful significance of Anakin killing the Emperor, saving his son, and blancing the force. There were some other benefits of that too, like disrupting the Imperial fleet. And it's nice to be able to help them mesh together better.

LOL! That's a rather grim view of balance indeed! What story was that?

What other Star Wars projects are you involved with right now? Honestly, I can't wait another 10+ for another essential guide to characters! It's my favorite suppliment book.

And is there a tentative release date for New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels?

 

For those of you interested, the artist for the "NEGtVaV" is Ian Fullwood.

-Mazz

 

Thanks Mazzic! Do we know who'll be doing the scematics? Will the book even have them? Will most be carried over from the original book?

 

Well, you did a good job. It's impossible to get 'em all in there.

 

>Mr. Wallace, does the the "New Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels" feature an updated entry for Slave I? In the novel Slave Ship, Slave I was said to be built by Kuat of Kuat's technicians. In the new game Bounty Hunter, we see that Jango Fett acquires the Slave I in a different manner. I was hoping that the NEGVV would have an entry that would clear up this discrepancy.<

TBHW also states that Slave I underwent a complete reconstruction by Kuat Drive Yards after the flashback portions of the book. (This explains why the Slave I is several times bigger in TESB than in AOTC.) When Kuat of Kuat states that KDY built the Slave I to Boba's specifications, I'd just think of it as meaning that they *re*-built it to Fett's specifications.

>Thanks...but you want to hear something funny? It wasn't my original intention at all. As you may know the Death Star scene was a last-minute addition to Episode II, and it didn't appear in any of the scripts I read when I was writing the NEGC. I'd originally placed Bevel on Geonosis simply because I was wondering what the guy might have been doing during AOTC, and thinking that he might have found work (and kindred spirits) among the weapons-manufacturing Geonosians. Only later, after I'd turned in the manuscript, did I learn of the Death Star scene -- and then of course I didn't change anything, because it all fit in so well. I guess the Force was with me.<

ROTFLOL! No kidding? Hee hee... I knew that the Death Star scene was added in late in production, but I just assumed that you were just very informed, and had made a masterful continuity fix. I'd wondered why you didn't actually mention the Death Star plans... Heh heh... That's just too funny. Lemelisk's single mindedness *is* reminiscent of the Geonosion hive mind. I'm starting to think that "I, Lemelisk" would make a good short story.

*Ahem* Moving past that, ( ) I have a question about the Imperial blockade of Yavin. In TEGTC, as well as several other books you've written, you mention a blockade of Interdictor cruisers commanded by Admiral Griff in the Yavin system, ordered by Darth Vader so that the Rebels wouldn't be able to escape. There's also a blockade of the entire sector in Marvel, commanded by General Ulric Tagge. Tagge's blockade apparently comes first, as it was established while Luke and Leia were off at the Wheel, while the Interdictor blockade trapped Luke and Leia on Yavin, (also, the databank states that the blockade of the Yavin system was established after the destruction of the Tagge's TIE dispenser in Marvel.)

Now, both Griff and Tagge are in command of the blockade(s) at the same time. Griff seems to command the system blockade with Interdictors, while Tagge commands the sector blockade, at least up until Dark Lord's Gambit. Griff seems to have taken complete control of the sector blockade by the time the Empire finally drove the Rebels off Yavin in Classic Star Wars. This is probably an incredibly roundabout way of asking this, but what happened to General Tagge? He seems to have disappeared. Any insight you could share?

And, for a shorter, probably more relevant question, as you've written several well-received SW short stories, have you considered trying your hand at writing some non-SW fiction?

TC

 

Thanks for answering my questions, Mr. Wallace.

TBHW also states that Slave I underwent a complete reconstruction by Kuat Drive Yards after the flashback portions of the book. (This explains why the Slave I is several times bigger in TESB than in AOTC.) When Kuat of Kuat states that KDY built the Slave I to Boba's specifications, I'd just think of it as meaning that they *re*-built it to Fett's specifications

Works for me. Thanks TC.

 

TalonCard wrote:
TBHW also states that Slave I underwent a complete reconstruction by Kuat Drive Yards after the flashback portions of the book. (This explains why the Slave I is several times bigger in TESB than in AOTC.)

Is it really bigger in ESB? I had no idea.

This is probably an incredibly roundabout way of asking this, but what happened to General Tagge? He seems to have disappeared. Any insight you could share?

Nope, I don't really know what happened to General Tagge. Was his fate wrapped up in Marvel? I know that various Tagge family members were still showing up in the comic in the post-ESB timeframe.

I didn't really mention the Marvel Tagge blockade in the Essential Chronology or the NEGC because I was far more familiar with the Classic Star Wars Griff blockade, but they could have easily happened concurrently and in fact you've provided a good explanation as to how the two blockades might fit.

And, for a shorter, probably more relevant question, as you've written several well-received SW short stories, have you considered trying your hand at writing some non-SW fiction?

Absolutely! I'm always working on my writing. But selling one's work in a buyer's market is the tricky part...

Dan

 

>Is it really bigger in ESB? I had no idea.

Yes, it is noticeably bigger. (It would have to be for me to notice, I'm no Curtis Saxton. ) Take a good look at the Slave I in AOTC while Jango and Boba are about to leave Kamino (the AOTC DVD options menu is good for this) and keep that in mind when you watch the scene in TESB when the Stormtroopers are taking Han into Slave I. The Slave I isn't that big in AOTC (Jango even bumps his head on the hatch) but in TESB it almost dwarfs Fett and the Stormtroopers (which wouldn't be a bad name for a rock 'n roll band. )

>Nope, I don't really know what happened to General Tagge. Was his fate wrapped up in Marvel? I know that various Tagge family members were still showing up in the comic in the post-ESB timeframe.<

Unfortunately not. Marvel's Crimson Forever story had Domina in it, but no explanation as to the fates of Silas or Ulric Tagge was given. As she seemed to be in complete control of her family's vast resources in the story, it would be safe to assume that General Tagge, who had assumed the title of Baron, was killed at some point in between, but no explanation was ever given. (IIRC, Vader executed more than a few anonymous Imperial officers in CSW, so he could have been one of them.)

>Absolutely! I'm always working on my writing. But selling one's work in a buyer's market is the >tricky part...

I'm curious, do you think that your work in SW might help or hinder you when selling your non-SW work?

TC

 

I second the original fiction idea. Keep on working at that Dan, I'm sure everyone here would be happy enough to see what you could do.

I'd also be happy with just another Noone and gang story.

 

I third the idea Daniel!!

 

Hi everybody,

If you'd like to participate in an online chat with me and the authors of Coruscant and the Core Worlds, I'll be online Tuesday night, Feb. 4 at 8pm EST (5pm Pacific).

The following link gives info about the chat itself (Coruscant & the Core Worlds chat!) and the following link is where you need to go to participate in the chat itself (click on the "Come on in!" picture in the center of the page). (www.wizards.com/chat)

Three of the book's six authors--Jason Fry, John Terra, and myself--will be chatting about the book and fielding questions. I hope to see you there!

Dan

 

Cool, I'll have to check part of that out.

 

After read over C&tCW, I now have some legit questions:

-Why does practically every planet have a bar as a location of interest?
-Any particular reason why you created the "Allies & Antagonists" section?
-Anything done by other authors that caught your eye?
-Any feelings of "could'a/would'a/should'a" after completing the book?
-Which planet feels like a place you would live?

Sorry that its a lot, but that's what you get when you have your own official thread devoted to you

 

-Why does practically every planet have a bar as a location of interest?

Because that's where the writers wanted to be instead of stuck in front of their keyboards? Seriously, I don't know. I don't think there were very many bars in the planets I worked on, except for the LoBue Cantina on Abregado-rae.

-Any particular reason why you created the "Allies & Antagonists" section?

It's for roleplaying purposes. Non-player characters aren't so interesting if you're using the book as an EU encyclopedia, but if you're a gamemaster you'll appreciate the ability to drop ready-made characters into an adventure.

-Anything done by other authors that caught your eye?

All of it, really, and one of the most fun parts was getting to see what everybody else came up with since we all had the same basic marching orders. The new planets--Anaxes, Fresia, Belgaroth, Velusia, etc.--were especially interesting.

-Any feelings of "could'a/would'a/should'a" after completing the book?

I would have liked to have tied Episode II into the Coruscant section a little more than I did. Most of it was written before the release of Ep. II and things like Dexter Jettster were dropped in later.

-Which planet feels like a place you would live?

Without a doubt, I'd like to live on Coruscant. It's no contest.

Dan

 

Thanks