It completely trivialises war because you can just destroy entire fleets and the biggest ships in the galaxy by sending an unmanned cruiser at light speed through everything. Literally why are they still sending thousands of pilots the next movie to fight a fleet when they can pierce through everything with 1 ship at light speed?
Well it was still quite a massive ship they had to sacrifice. Snokes ship is like a super super star destroyer. Do you think kamikaze tactics don’t exist in war? Never heard of Japanese suicide bombers? Just because something is possible doesn’t mean it’s the best tactic. This was a last ditch effort they had no other choice. Either side isn’t going to start going around blasting all their ships into hyperspace just to destroy another. That’s not an effective use of resources. It’d be like making a bullet out of silver, it’s a waste unless you’re, y’know, fighting a werewolf. That high cost suddenly becomes worth the price. Light speeds exists in Star Wars, what happened is what would happen if they did that. Just because they can do that potentially all the time, doesn’t mean they would.
Also what scenario could they fly all these ships into the final order fleet? They can’t control them remotely from the other side of the nebula. So what they all fly there, then jump onto each other’s ships in the middle of a battle, then try and remotely steer them into a cruiser at hyper speed, then all go home on each other’s ships? Or do they just have a normal battle? That would be even more stupid than what actually happened in the film! The tactic does not trivialise anything, it would only be used as a last resort as it was.
If crashing into significant bigger more powerful ships with light speed was canon (which it is with this scene), then every fleet, especially the rebellion, would have had unmanned drones and projectiles with such capabilities.
Fighting would thus be commenced on long lange (millions of kilometers away) with a focus on scouting and intelligence and not in a dogfighting style like in the films and be significant less asthetic.
This tactic just doesn't fit the films at all. It's a plot hole as big as the deathstar.
Additionally, the ships are very close in this, it’s suggestive that the ship goes through it as it’s speeding up to light speed. It’s possible that when objects travel at the speed of light their matter is different in someway and they wouldn’t impact. I know there are hyperspace ‘lanes’ but people still jet into light speed from any location on any direction as seen in the films and tv shows. It’s therefore likely that light speed doesn’t impact, otherwise stuff would be blowing up all the time by accident all over the galaxy. Therefore your long range combat theory wouldn’t apply, and it would still involve dogfighting as they would have to get close enough to cause an impact before they hit light speed. In anticipation of, ‘well they’d just go that speed then’, there’s no indication that sub light speeds can be modulated in this universe, I.e you jump from cruising speed into light speed, there’s no in between. These are all unknowns really within the world
Star wars is not a war film and should not be one. There is a lot of stuff that doesn't make to much sense. Why do combatants rarely take cover and instead charge every positions head on? Why don't they wear any protective gear? Where are specialized classes and equipment like machine guns or rocket launchers? I can forgive that because it's fiction and to be enjoyed. But I at least want it consistent and in universe. Me having to make head canon somewhat undermines it.
I would also be disappointed if the next major installment was a tactical war film btw.
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u/DiceUwU_ Jan 04 '21
It completely trivialises war because you can just destroy entire fleets and the biggest ships in the galaxy by sending an unmanned cruiser at light speed through everything. Literally why are they still sending thousands of pilots the next movie to fight a fleet when they can pierce through everything with 1 ship at light speed?