Author Topic: Vader in the TIE X1  (Read 2308 times)

Offline Keonobi

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Vader in the TIE X1
« on: July 25, 2008, 04:11 PM »
My understanding on the TIE design was that they didn't include any life support mechanism, which required the pilot to wear the helmet with the tubes going to the box on his chest, right?  How come Vader doesn't need something similar?  He spends the entire OT breathing audibly, so clearly he doesn't rely on internal air supplies most of the time.  This is particularly noticeable when he fights Luke on Bespin because Luke sprays Vader in the face with some gas coming from a tube.

So my question is, what do you guys think, does the X1 have internal life support, or does Vader's suit have some sort of capacity to exist in vacuum which he has to turn on before flying a TIE?
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Offline Matt_Fury

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Re: Vader in the TIE X1
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2008, 07:02 PM »
I would think he had life support as well as some sort of hyperdrive to fly some distance...as opposed to the short range of the TIE's which need to stay near Star Destroyers or bases like the Death Star.

Vader would need a longer range smaller craft to do various missions (like Jedi hunting) that a large fleet would net be good for.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Vader in the TIE X1
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2008, 04:20 AM »
Details on the "Advanced X1" in books cite it having a limited hyperdrive and lifesupport...

Keep in mind TIE's from the film are largely based on small designs, very unbulky ships, probably for cost cutting measures and agility/speed issues.  The TIE Fighter in specs (and the Interceptor) are almost all noted for agility and speed...  Not that Alliance ships aren't noted for these things, but they're also much larger silhouettes/targets, and just generally bulkier and relying on fewer pilots too, so "survivability" becomes a concern to Alliance pilots...

If you compare the Advanced Vader's flying and the regular TIE, or even the TIE Bomber and TIE Interceptor, you see a ship with significantly more bulk.  The TIE Bomber has bulk but it's mostly tied up with the separate ordinance pod, and depending what sources you go into it has regenerative abilities for even its ordinance (like an "energy bomb" of sorts) that could be tied to the cockpit module's bulk too.

Looking at EU ships, TIE's are pretty modular and can have various things added to them like extra engines, weapons, etc.  Then there's ships like the TIE Defender or "Avenger" Advanced which add significant bulk to imply significant improves in things like shielding, hyperdrives, weapons systems, engines, etc.  And subsequently those TIE's are faster and more powerful than most any Alliance Fighter to some degree (or even great degrees).

The Advanced X1 was Vader's personal ship but there were "advanced" model fighters in EU that lacked the hyperdrive and perhaps some other features Vader's ship had, and they had also much less bulk to their hull...  They look more like the vintage Vader TIE Fighter, if you're curious for an example.  The modern Vader TIE shows all the added bulk though, that the actual X1 model had from the film...  It makes sense Vader would add the expensive crap then to his own ship that the regular pilots wouldn't have of course.

The TIE "Avenger" Advanced was born then from the x1 (Vader's modified advanced fighter) from Yavin, and the nickname is obviously derived from the loss of the Death Star.  It's the first truly advanced Starfighter that saw production (all EU stuff) within the Empire and was superior to all Alliance fighters, but the margins were fairly close with the X-Wing and A-Wing...

Depending on the EU you read though, there were "TIE Advanced" fighters in production by Yavin, but they all lacked that large hull (in the rear) of Vader's Fighter, and were mostly just the regular cockpit pod and the bent wings, and they just were a faster more sleek TIE Fighter with limited shielding.  Vader's had all the bells and whistles, and thus the big bulk in the rear, but his was a "one-of-a-kind" deal I guess. 

Then there's a pile of other TIE designs ranging from droids and crap to heavy bombers like the Scimitar...  Cool stuff.
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