Comments - Fredsas12

In the Star Wars universe, there are both Laser based and Plasma based weaponry. Any weapon that is called a Laser IS A Laser based weapon i.e light speed. Eg. A "Turbo Laser" as mounted on Capital Star ships like a Star Destroyer is a bonafide laser weapon. Thus its shoots a beam of light.

A plasma weapon discharge would look nothing like a laser beam (or Hollywood style tracer) for that matter. A decent depiction of a plasma weapon would be as the one on the movie Predator (the shoulder mounted "Plasma Caster"). A "fat" mass of heavy super heated particles leaving a trail arc as it is "lobbed" towards its target. Plasma weapons would have relatively short ranges (because its damage is based on Heat, the further it has to travel, the cooler and thus more ineffective it would be), high lead time targeting, (almost like artillery), but do VERY HEAVY heat based damage.

Lasers in comparison, would have almost infinite range, almost no lead time targeting, but do substantially less damage). The Ultimate Lasers in Star-Wars (and any Universe for that matter) are called "Turbo-Lasers". They are incredibly powerful weapons that could vaporize a fully shielded ship in a single shot. Shooting a turbo laser at the ground for instant would have it penetrate all the way through down to solid rock (where it could be stopped due to great rock heat absorption). Like any weapon that is called a "laser", it travels at the speed of light, and thus cannot be dodged or evaded. (Unless the target can time travel).

The problem with Star Wars, is that the movies are done for "oohs and awes" effect. In a realistic space battle with laser weapons, you would not be able to see the lasers firing. So all the ships would be frantically maneuvering, but people would be confused because they couldn't see the "bullets" flying and thus sense the life threatening immediacy of the action. In other words, depicting the realistic capability of laser weaponry would be boring to a non-informed public.

Which bring us to now where people actually believe this is what laser warfare really looks like... Bullet Tracers... :(

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Actually that's totally incorrect..

Capital ships should have better accuracy vs fighters than even fighters vs fighters... Capital ships are massive slow moving, stable and armoured platforms firing turbo lasers (which move at the speed of light). With even a half decent fire control computer, they'd hardly ever miss within a 10km radius.

The reason for this is because since the "bullet" laser is moving a over 290,000 km / per sec. The aiming computer doesn't have to "lead" the target much by anything. It could simply point the gun directly at the tiny ship and the moment the trigger is pressed is same moment that the ship is hit. Lasers are the ultimate "bullets"... You shouldn't seem then "flying" towards the targets like tracers. They are instant.

I've always thought Star Wars was too ridiculous in the way it had to rewrite physics just to "let" the Rebels win.. Like Storm Troops firing laser rifles and the rebels ducking and dodging em.. :)