[SWSE] Are Jedi just plain better than everyone else?

[pawsplay]

Well, from wookiepedia:

AHAHAHAHA!

 

[iwatt]

AHAHAHAHA!

your point?

 

[pawsplay]

your point?

Wookieepedia is a great place to find stuff, but there are some inherent problems with using a Wiki as an authoritive source on its own.

In this case, I happen to be playing KOTOR currently, and I know that in that game, crystals are described by their physical properties. Likewise, the old WEG products described crystals purely as lenses. I am aware of no canonical source which indicates a lightsaber's functioning depends on the Force.

If the wiki implies otherwise, it is either vague or mistaken.

 

[iwatt]

Wookieepedia is a great place to find stuff, but there are some inherent problems with using a Wiki as an authoritive source on its own.

In this case, I happen to be playing KOTOR currently, and I know that in that game, crystals are described by their physical properties. Likewise, the old WEG products described crystals purely as lenses. I am aware of no canonical source which indicates a lightsaber's functioning depends on the Force.

If the wiki implies otherwise, it is either vague or mistaken.

I'll take your word for it then. Somehow I thought that the cristals in Danotoine were formed in a place "strong" in the force. But it's been over 2 years since I played KOTOR on my x-box.

Maybe it was just the imbue/attune disconnect mentioned by Kaffis. Or maybe because I really dislike the midichlorians explanation, even though Kaffis makes a cogent point about them. I like my force mysterious I guess.

 

[Asmor]

OTOH, I actually like the idea that a crystal must be attuned with the force. Best explanation I've seen for why such an effective (not to mention easily-concealed) weapon is almost exclusively used by such a small segment of the population.

May not be G-Canon, but it is now Asmor-Canon.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

I can only imagine that the crystals are now magical because of the sheer number of bad writers in the EU, who have been trying to turn Star Wars into pure fantasy for a couple decades now.

Lucas himself is on record as saying the lightsaber is just a technologically advanced sword.

I might buy the argument that you want to attune the focusing crystal of your personal blade to yourself, for no other reason than to speed up the process of embodiment (you treat the weapon as part of your own body) that happens with any tool that you use regularly. But that's a merely a vague cognitive explanation rather than a vague mystic one.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I can only imagine that the crystals are now magical because of the sheer number of bad writers in the EU, who have been trying to turn Star Wars into pure fantasy for a couple decades now.

Hate on the EU if you like, but it hasn't happened in it so you can't pin that on it.

Lightsaber crystals are always attuned, and that's the word that is consistently used in all sources it comes up in, be it comics, games, books, or the RPG.

Now, what exactly attuning is is never explained, but there's the mystery thing.

 

[Arkhandus]

Well, usually only Jedi carry lightsabers, and they're the ones who align the focusing crystals through guidance from the Force. Without the Force it'd be tough to make a working lightsaber, but probably doable. I imagine the 'attunement' involves forming a familiarity with the weapon through the Force so as to wield it more easily as an extension of themselves and to easily avoid harming themselves with it. Other folks will have a bit less ease with it, and those who aren't fairly capable with the Force are liable to maim or kill themselves when trying to use the weightless, laser-like lightsaber blade in a real fight.

 

[Klaus]

The recent Jedi Counseling mentioned that anyone can build a lightsaber, not only a Jedi 7 (the entry in the Jedi class table is a reminder that the character can build his lightsaber).

Re: midiclorian: In my understanding, the midiclorian count isn't the reason a person is strong in the Force, it's a consequence. The midiclorian count would be a reliable way to quantify strength in the Force.

 

[Asmor]

and those who aren't fairly capable with the Force are liable to maim or kill themselves when trying to use the weightless, laser-like lightsaber blade in a real fight.

That's the excuse that's frequently given for why Jedi are almost the exclusive users of lightsabers, and I think it's total crap.

There's absolutely no reason anyone couldn't train with a lightsaber and learn to use. It might be a little more difficult to learn and get used to than a normal weapon, but I'm not entirely convinced that's true.

Granted, if you're a master swordsman who's been using a vibrosword for 20 years and you pick up a lightsaber, it's going to be a very different beast. But if you're a non-jedi who's been training with a lightsaber for 20 years, you'll be as comfortable with the feel of the weapon as any jedi knight.