AT-AT's were built with several things in mind. The vehicles were built to handle rough terrain and built with heavy enough armor to deflect blaster bolts. The weight involved kinda ruled out repulsorlifts due to the amount of energy involved to power them. The Fortress battlewagon is one such example of that line of thought. Heaviliy armored and sporting massive assault weaponry, but is low to the ground and can't carry much else save for it main turbolaser and light blasters on the periphery. The walker can carry 40 shock troopers and five speeder bikes.
Also the walker has a major shock advantage. Its slow rolling gait is deceptive. It's moving better than 45Mph at full speed over level terrain and can be within kill range of it's head mounted blasters in short order. The weight of the pads pounding the ground induce tremors that shake the opposition to the core, both mentally and physically.
Vader loves to use walkers whenever he can. And General Veers is one of his best when conducting lighting fast assaults.
Even with a PBC (particle beam cannon) I would not want to tangle with them.
@Nighthawke: Unfortunately Imperial budget cuts meant that they couldn't include the flame throwers and heavy metal music to complete it's badass aura of intimidation.
Evil I don’t think the Empire was really Evil, does anyone know the political stance or any of the policies enforced by the Empire as a ruling party on the civilian population, health care, longer school days extra money for the Unemployed. Right after the first Death Star was destroyed they started another one even bigger, now how many people did that employ? How do we know that they were really that bad, sure they blew up a planet but if the Taliban had their own planet we would blow that up.
@The Analrapist: Half Analyst Half Therapist: Also, the Imperial Navy, in addition to being xenophobic, didn't allow women to enlist or serve.
Sure, you might see some hot redhead posing in uniform for recruitment cheesecake, but the officers in actuality were all part of the old boy network.
I think there are two sides to the story though. The Empire's crackdown on the Rebellion was necessary to keep commerce running through the Galaxy. After all, the Spice Must Flow, and someone's got to get it from the mines of Kessel to the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim. And let's not forget all the cantinas and marketplaces that the Rebels blew up as part of their guerrilla campaigns.
As to the xenophobia, how would you propose to maintain order in the ranks if a commander had to worry about a hairy 8' cadet ripping his arms off. Plus, the Imperial Navy can't have to make 1,000 different types of helmets and control schemes for the TIE crafts to accommodate a variety of species.
There are reasons for these practices that the average civilian doesn't understand.
JOIN THE IMPERIAL NAVY: MEET NEW SPECIES AND SUBJUGATE THEM COMPLETELY
Years and years ago I had a Star Wars book that talked about all the vehicles and explained why they were designed the way they were, weapons, etc.
I don't have it out here with me at college, but I do remember reading that AT-AT's were designed with legs because it made them unaffected by all kinds of weird surface conditions and gravitational fields (of planets). It has nothing to do with Echo Base or anything like that.
Basically, it was a "one-size-fits-all" solution that could be deployed anywhere. Plus the psychological effect of seeing something this masive walking slowly at you was quite effective too, from what the manual said.
@ShrigeetaPodalirius: "Years and years ago I had a Star Wars book that talked about all the vehicles and explained why they were designed the way they were, weapons, etc."
Err, they probably created the explanations after the movie was made. In all likelihood, all of these things look the way they look because George Lucas thought they would look cool.
And on a slightly related side note, just why couldn't AT-ATs hover?
Because the AT-AT needs to work in all environments, terrain, and tactical conditions. Repulsorlift vehicles can not safely breach theatre shields or work on all planetary bodies that may have magnetic other anomalies that interfere with repulsorlift systems. \o/
I'm somewhat of a Star Wars fan and I have an answer. If you recall, echo base had a shield. That shield prevented grav-lifts from working. Thats why they didn't drop on top of the base with ships. The walkers landed outside of the shield, walked through and destroyed the generator (obvious plot tool).
@pɹɐoqʎǝʞuǝʞoɹq: You know what else Echo Base had? A shitty HVAC system.
I guess the GALACTIC EMPIRE had taken all the union tin-knockers for work on the second DEATH STAR.
Personally, I'd wager that the HVAC and plumbers who built out the exhaust port on the first DEATH STAR are the same ones who put in the heat pump in Echo.
And that is why you shouldn't always go with the low bid.
I swear to the frakkin' Maker. The next one of you bratty little younglings that starts singing the Imperial March will get a light saber so far up the ass, you'll be tasting the Dark Side for weeks!
Now sit down before I take a blaster rifle to the lot of you. I have a torture droid and I'm not afraid to activate it.
That goes doubly for you, Anakin! And no, your mother didn't magically become pregnant. She slept with every spice trader from here to Dantooine. So stuff a womprat in it, you little blond bastard!
I remember when I got my Imperial flying license. I was so happy that first day of the Academy when I flew my brand new Seinar Systems TIE Interceptor.
Then, some douchebag hick from a moisture farm dinged my ion generator panel with the side of his nasty-ass landspeeder.
@GitEmSteveDave_JustAddLabCoat: No, he was slacking off. Hanging out with his friends at the Tosche Station instead of doing his chores. Man, I bet his uncle is going to be steaming mad when he finds out too...
Who cares? As long as you're not incesting her and all the nerds think she's your girlfriend (not knowing the truth of course) then you still get those e-peen bonus points.
...at least enough to hold you over until you can find a REAL girlfriend.
@Jrsy Devil's Food Cake®: They do appear to be wearing wedding rings... Obviously, that does not mean they are wedded to each other, but if not, her hubby is pretty open-minded.
10/01/09
Does this mean the AT-ST was the short bus of the Imperial forces...?
10/01/09
10/01/09
Also the walker has a major shock advantage. Its slow rolling gait is deceptive. It's moving better than 45Mph at full speed over level terrain and can be within kill range of it's head mounted blasters in short order. The weight of the pads pounding the ground induce tremors that shake the opposition to the core, both mentally and physically.
Vader loves to use walkers whenever he can. And General Veers is one of his best when conducting lighting fast assaults.
Even with a PBC (particle beam cannon) I would not want to tangle with them.
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
Sure, you might see some hot redhead posing in uniform for recruitment cheesecake, but the officers in actuality were all part of the old boy network.
I think there are two sides to the story though. The Empire's crackdown on the Rebellion was necessary to keep commerce running through the Galaxy. After all, the Spice Must Flow, and someone's got to get it from the mines of Kessel to the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim. And let's not forget all the cantinas and marketplaces that the Rebels blew up as part of their guerrilla campaigns.
As to the xenophobia, how would you propose to maintain order in the ranks if a commander had to worry about a hairy 8' cadet ripping his arms off. Plus, the Imperial Navy can't have to make 1,000 different types of helmets and control schemes for the TIE crafts to accommodate a variety of species.
There are reasons for these practices that the average civilian doesn't understand.
JOIN THE IMPERIAL NAVY: MEET NEW SPECIES AND SUBJUGATE THEM COMPLETELY
10/01/09
I don't have it out here with me at college, but I do remember reading that AT-AT's were designed with legs because it made them unaffected by all kinds of weird surface conditions and gravitational fields (of planets). It has nothing to do with Echo Base or anything like that.
Basically, it was a "one-size-fits-all" solution that could be deployed anywhere. Plus the psychological effect of seeing something this masive walking slowly at you was quite effective too, from what the manual said.
10/01/09
Err, they probably created the explanations after the movie was made. In all likelihood, all of these things look the way they look because George Lucas thought they would look cool.
10/01/09
Because the AT-AT needs to work in all environments, terrain, and tactical conditions. Repulsorlift vehicles can not safely breach theatre shields or work on all planetary bodies that may have magnetic other anomalies that interfere with repulsorlift systems. \o/
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
I guess the GALACTIC EMPIRE had taken all the union tin-knockers for work on the second DEATH STAR.
Personally, I'd wager that the HVAC and plumbers who built out the exhaust port on the first DEATH STAR are the same ones who put in the heat pump in Echo.
And that is why you shouldn't always go with the low bid.
10/01/09
-okay I have reached my geek limit for the day.
10/01/09
Yeah, my old bus driver was awesome.
10/01/09
10/01/09
Now sit down before I take a blaster rifle to the lot of you. I have a torture droid and I'm not afraid to activate it.
That goes doubly for you, Anakin! And no, your mother didn't magically become pregnant. She slept with every spice trader from here to Dantooine. So stuff a womprat in it, you little blond bastard!
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
Then, some douchebag hick from a moisture farm dinged my ion generator panel with the side of his nasty-ass landspeeder.
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
10/01/09
I think you mean OPP-PYT.
10/01/09
09/09/09
09/08/09
09/08/09
I mean more than the Darth Vader couple since she was willing to show her actual face in the public.
09/08/09
09/09/09
Who cares? As long as you're not incesting her and all the nerds think she's your girlfriend (not knowing the truth of course) then you still get those e-peen bonus points.
...at least enough to hold you over until you can find a REAL girlfriend.
...or not?
09/09/09
09/09/09
09/10/09