Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

 Imposter101 wrote:

 Leigen_Zero wrote:

LuciusAR wrote:One of things annoyed me was the fact that they talked. I mean why? I understand them needing to comunicate with human superiors, but why talk to each other? I assume wireless technology exists in the star wars universe.

They talk because the movie would be hard to understand instead of using natural language, half the discussion involving droids is a variety of close-ups of a blinking LED with the wifi symbol next to it

Personally I really liked the droid army, perhaps not so much as movie characters but as an aesthetic and techological idea they were pretty cool.

In the 1st and 2nd movies, the Battle Droids did have voices that were believable, but in the 3rd they had emotions and felt pain and all that. It's fairly brutal for the Jedi to go and cut down a group of Droid pilots in the 3rd film who scream and cry out as they try to keep a ship working. I understand that this is a poor attempt to implement slap stick, but it's effectively just cutting down defenseless robots.

See now I haven't watched episode three, and I am reluctant to in case it ruins star wars for me...

*Droideka.


I like them but not as much as Grevious' bodyguard, or as they are called in Battlefront 2, Magnaguard. They were badass in Epp3.

I liked the destroyers. The other droids were just kind of there.

Also liked the droid battletanks and transports in the first movie.

Did not like any of the space droids at all.

I'm with most people: I love the look, but the main droids as the "comic relief" is pretty bad. It gets even worse in the Clone Wars animated series. I know it's a kid's show, but even my younger brother agrees that they're just overly stupid sometimes.

The biggest problem with all the droids is that Lucas wrote the script...

Seriously, this is the guy who almost made poor Natalie Portman a complete joke. ("oh Anikan, you're breaking my heart")

 Leigen_Zero wrote:

 Imposter101 wrote:

 Leigen_Zero wrote:

LuciusAR wrote:One of things annoyed me was the fact that they talked. I mean why? I understand them needing to comunicate with human superiors, but why talk to each other? I assume wireless technology exists in the star wars universe.

They talk because the movie would be hard to understand instead of using natural language, half the discussion involving droids is a variety of close-ups of a blinking LED with the wifi symbol next to it

Personally I really liked the droid army, perhaps not so much as movie characters but as an aesthetic and techological idea they were pretty cool.

In the 1st and 2nd movies, the Battle Droids did have voices that were believable, but in the 3rd they had emotions and felt pain and all that. It's fairly brutal for the Jedi to go and cut down a group of Droid pilots in the 3rd film who scream and cry out as they try to keep a ship working. I understand that this is a poor attempt to implement slap stick, but it's effectively just cutting down defenseless robots.

See now I haven't watched episode three, and I am reluctant to in case it ruins star wars for me...

Smart move, because it will.

You should feel sorry for the poor Stormtroopers! Those darned jedi end up giving them major psychological complexes!

The main use of the droids was so that they could have big battles using cgi as well as keeping the body count down. The problem? No one gives a gak if you kill a toaster; there is no emotional resonance. Empire versus Rebels is engaging becuase there are lives on the line for both sides, whereas here it is cgi Gungans (which no one cares about) versus droid comedy relief, or cgi trooper versus droid comedy relief.

It also kept them from showing Jedi constantly upending appendages and cutting heads off; this way killing another person only happens a handful of times. I never recommend watching those p.o.s. films, but if you do, imagine every time a Jedi 'kills' a droid, replace that droid with a person. The body count would be staggering even for a slasher flick.

I love both the Battle Droids and the Clone Troopers. It would be awesome to see FFG do a Clone Wars miniatures game. I think it's more likely that they'll do Rebels v. Imps, however.

I have to say that I've never understood the immense hatred of the prequels, but then again I wasn't around to watch the originals as a kid.

Yeah I mean you see droid heads and limbs sent flying in every scene. Although it has to be said that you do see several clones beheaded and one ran through with a lightsaber. Dooku is also beheaded and grievous burned alive; in addition to Anakin being almost burned alive.

I like the look of the droids, and even the voices. I didn't like the goofiness that Lucas put on them in certain scenes, but I think mostly it was a problem of poorly constructed action scenes, coupled with the issue common to all pulp series - the heroes have to win and the vast army they're fighting always has to lose. And so piles upon piles of dead mooks make us think those guys suck.

Like a few people have pointed out, it's why we also see Stormtroopers as a joke as well, despite being shown as pretty effective when fighting everyone other than the heroes.

 LuciusAR wrote:
One of things annoyed me was the fact that they talked. I mean why? I understand them needing to comunicate with human superiors, but why talk to each other? I assume wireless technology exists in the star wars universe.

Possibly. Perhaps their superiors didn't like the idea of the robots being able to communicate among themselves in a silent language their superiors can't follow, for fear of a rebellion or something?

I mean, ultimately we're talking about robots built for war here. It doesn't really make sense to build a robot with an expensive AI and all the motive parts to walk and move like a biped humanoid, and then give it so little armour protection that it can't survive a blaster hit. Also, it doesn't really make sense to spend a load of money on hand actuators so a robot can then hold a gun - just make the gun part of the robot.

But ultimately, robot soldiers are cool, so we look past all that stuff.

I agree with the overall opinion of the battle droids being decently good looking but they are so dumb.

Destroyer Droids on the other hand, or Droidekas, wow, what a huge upgrade. They don't speak, they are rolling balls of death that once they find their target, unfold, activate their shield and blast their target to nothingness with their lasers. They really are much cooler in every aspect than the standard battle droid.

The Super Battle Droid... urrgh, ok, they are much more aggressive and impressive, but still aren't as cool as the Droidekas.

My problem with super battle droids is they are basically mentally slowed yet I'm suppose to believe they are the kings of kill? Not happening

I liked them in the Phantom menace where they actually seemed like ruthless killing machines with the way they spoke in the monotone 'roger, roger' type voice. I hated the way they were in Revenge of the Sith with their hapless personalities and annoying voices, at least in Episode I they actually seemed somewhat threatening/scary.

That just starts the whole Lucas sucks at writing things argument. I never understood his need to make starwars a Child show when it started off rather violent and dark. Outside of money reasons of course