It's funny to see how the army always invests in what is most effective, while fantasy and science always become obsessed with making obsolete things OP.
If I had a penny for every time an Imperial called me scum for playing Tau I’d be a billionaire by now
Smart-Response9881 on
If we are being realistic, everything in the future would probably be drones
Abdelsauron on
The story isn’t as cool if the hero flies an FPV drone into the big bad evil guy’s face.
Most sci fi settings with melee usually have a decent enough explanation for why. In Star Wars you have wizards who can deflect and dodge lasers. In 40k you have human tanks wearing a tank. In DUNE the force fields stop fast things but not slow things.
That said, the Ace Combat games show you can still have epic duels with advanced weapons.
HistorianEntire311 on
Friend, no one likes to see a static fight, between two groups standing still, shooting and covering each other, that’s why there are few films about the First World War and many about the Second.
The_ChadTC on
It’s almost as if fictional settings are created to be cool and not to a comprehensive theoretical study on weapons development.
Besides, in Star Wars, melee is reserved to literal super heroes. In Warhammer, it’s necessary because there are multiple enemies that can gap close while shrugging off ranged atttacks. The moment we figure out how to put tank grade armor on a person I guarantee you that chainswords will be less than 5 years away from being invented.
Ok-Cod1625 on
Certified English coward post
Real_Impression_5567 on
I mean ender game is literally the most efficient of efficient in terms of how they fight what they are fighting
whverman on
Main reason I dislike dune
Vodka_is_Polish on
You are aware Star Wars takes place in the very distant past, in a completely different place, right? Like it’s literally the first words of almost every movie: “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…”
Famous-Register-2814 on
Dune would be a good example of the cross between both. Melee is back but it’s for a reason.
On the other hand, one Star Wars is set in the past, and two, it’s really just lightsabers that are melee weapons for the most part and really only the Jedi and Sith use them, two groups who’s numbers you could count on one hand for 6/9 movies
ShitassAintOverYet on
To be fair I haven’t really see Star Wars fans or George Lucas himself trying to justify melee combat beyond the Tarantino quote “BECAUSE IT’S SO MUCH FUN”.
Lightsaber is practical only because its wielder is a being of advanced reflexes who can dodge a good chunk of ranged attack coming at their direction. On anyone who isn’t strong with the force it has the exact same impracticality of bringing sword to a gun fight.
Little_Whippie on
Lightsabers are seen as very powerful weapons, blasters are “so uncivilized”
Melee in 40k is commonplace and there are a lot of powerful melee weapons
Thursday_Murder_Club on
Dune actually has an ok reason
thorsbosshammer on
The reason is because melee weapon fights are generally more exciting and dramatic.
If you are going to be writing fiction, you might as well include fun technologies that help make an exciting story.
How popular would star wars be without the lightsabers, I wonder? I don’t think it ever became a big hit with just blasters.
HealthyWatercress422 on
You prop up the melee combat because it entrenches the rich and powerful.
Superior firearm technology bridges the gap between the poor and the rich, like the use of muskets during the medieval Japan to reduced prominence of the bushi class. The luxury of the wealthy to focus on martial exercise and nutritious diet allows them to prop up the status quo. (among other secondary influences)
See similar parallels in Dune (dueling cultures, shield belts), or BattleTech’s noble houses. (Limiting immense martial power to the select few)
Tal_Imagination_3692 on
What is supposed to be this? Fantasy (broadly speaking) goes for what is cool to read and watch.
Science??? Becoming obsessed with making obsolete things OP? Ok, that’s a new one for me.
I don’t think we have never change our mentality of “the bigger stick” in weapons creation. So are you upset because your fantasy movies are not realistic enough?
16 Comments
Especially 40k.
If I had a penny for every time an Imperial called me scum for playing Tau I’d be a billionaire by now
If we are being realistic, everything in the future would probably be drones
The story isn’t as cool if the hero flies an FPV drone into the big bad evil guy’s face.
Most sci fi settings with melee usually have a decent enough explanation for why. In Star Wars you have wizards who can deflect and dodge lasers. In 40k you have human tanks wearing a tank. In DUNE the force fields stop fast things but not slow things.
That said, the Ace Combat games show you can still have epic duels with advanced weapons.
Friend, no one likes to see a static fight, between two groups standing still, shooting and covering each other, that’s why there are few films about the First World War and many about the Second.
It’s almost as if fictional settings are created to be cool and not to a comprehensive theoretical study on weapons development.
Besides, in Star Wars, melee is reserved to literal super heroes. In Warhammer, it’s necessary because there are multiple enemies that can gap close while shrugging off ranged atttacks. The moment we figure out how to put tank grade armor on a person I guarantee you that chainswords will be less than 5 years away from being invented.
Certified English coward post
I mean ender game is literally the most efficient of efficient in terms of how they fight what they are fighting
Main reason I dislike dune
You are aware Star Wars takes place in the very distant past, in a completely different place, right? Like it’s literally the first words of almost every movie: “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…”
Dune would be a good example of the cross between both. Melee is back but it’s for a reason.
On the other hand, one Star Wars is set in the past, and two, it’s really just lightsabers that are melee weapons for the most part and really only the Jedi and Sith use them, two groups who’s numbers you could count on one hand for 6/9 movies
To be fair I haven’t really see Star Wars fans or George Lucas himself trying to justify melee combat beyond the Tarantino quote “BECAUSE IT’S SO MUCH FUN”.
Lightsaber is practical only because its wielder is a being of advanced reflexes who can dodge a good chunk of ranged attack coming at their direction. On anyone who isn’t strong with the force it has the exact same impracticality of bringing sword to a gun fight.
Lightsabers are seen as very powerful weapons, blasters are “so uncivilized”
Melee in 40k is commonplace and there are a lot of powerful melee weapons
Dune actually has an ok reason
The reason is because melee weapon fights are generally more exciting and dramatic.
If you are going to be writing fiction, you might as well include fun technologies that help make an exciting story.
How popular would star wars be without the lightsabers, I wonder? I don’t think it ever became a big hit with just blasters.
You prop up the melee combat because it entrenches the rich and powerful.
Superior firearm technology bridges the gap between the poor and the rich, like the use of muskets during the medieval Japan to reduced prominence of the bushi class. The luxury of the wealthy to focus on martial exercise and nutritious diet allows them to prop up the status quo. (among other secondary influences)
See similar parallels in Dune (dueling cultures, shield belts), or BattleTech’s noble houses. (Limiting immense martial power to the select few)
What is supposed to be this? Fantasy (broadly speaking) goes for what is cool to read and watch.
Science??? Becoming obsessed with making obsolete things OP? Ok, that’s a new one for me.
I don’t think we have never change our mentality of “the bigger stick” in weapons creation. So are you upset because your fantasy movies are not realistic enough?