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Shuttles & the Greek Alphabet
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CRMcNeill
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PostPosted: Thu Dec 21, 2017 5:18 pm    Post subject: Shuttles & the Greek Alphabet Reply with quote

So I learned something new and interesting today. I've always wondered how the Greek Alphabet made its way into the SWU, giving us ships like the Lambda- and Delta-Class Shuttles. Apparently, it has been retconned by co-opting the Greek Alphabet as the Tionese Alphabet.

For those of you who are interested, here's a list of the assigned and unassigned Tionese letters that make up Sienar/Cygnus' line of shuttles:
    REPUBLIC (Official):
    Eta-Class Light Shuttle
    Kappa-Class Troop Shuttle
    Theta-Class Utility Shuttle
    Nu-Class Combat Shuttle
    Omicron-Class Combat Shuttle
    Omega-Class Cargo Shuttle

    EMPIRE (Official):
    Alpha-Class Gunboat
    Beta-Class Heavy Assault Shuttle
    Gamma-Class Spacetrooper Assault Shuttle
    Delta-Class Command Shuttle
    Zeta-Class Cargo Shuttle
    Lambda-Class Utility Shuttle

    TFA/TLJ (Official):
    Xi-Class Light Shuttle
    Upsilon-Class Command Shuttle

    HOMEBREW:
    Mu-Class Light Shuttle (Fractalsponge)
    Chi-Class Heavy Dropship (Fractalsponge)
    Iota-Class Assault Dropship (AdamKop)
    Sigma-Class Special Missions Shuttle (ex-Svelte)
    Tau-Class Light Assault Shuttle (ex-Delta DX-9)
    Psi-Class Troop Shuttle (ex-Sentinel)
    Rho-Class Missile Boat
    Epsilon-Class Heavy Cargo Transport (ex-Eta from Rogue One)

    UNASSIGNED:
    Pi
    Phi

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Last edited by CRMcNeill on Wed Jan 25, 2023 5:59 pm; edited 4 times in total
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garhkal
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow.. Never there were all those names, but it does make sense they'ed have used greek lettering..
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CRMcNeill
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 1:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

garhkal wrote:
Wow.. Never knew there were all those names, but it does make sense they'ed have used greek lettering..

TBT, never once in the films is any of the shuttles referred to by the Greek name. It's entirely an EU invention.

As far as the above list, it's a reasonable assumption that the Alliance will have at least limited access to everything on the Clone Wars list, and a select few from the Imperial list.

For myself, I've long considered renaming the Sentinel-Class Landing Craft the Sigma-Class (for consistency's sake), and the much-overused Delta-Class Escort Shuttles and Stormtrooper Transports will likely need to be renamed, as well...
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

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Whill
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CRMcNeill wrote:
TBT, never once in the films is any of the shuttles referred to by the Greek name. It's entirely an EU invention.

I wouldn't say entirely. I'm pretty sure the Lamda-class shuttle was named when designed in preproduction of RotJ because it resembles the greek letter Λ. It may have even made it into the shooting script of the film, even if it was never stated in the film.
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CRMcNeill
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Location: Redding System, California Sector, on the I-5 Hyperspace Route.

PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 1:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whill wrote:
CRMcNeill wrote:
TBT, never once in the films is any of the shuttles referred to by the Greek name. It's entirely an EU invention.

I wouldn't say entirely. I'm pretty sure the Lamda-class shuttle was named when designed in preproduction of RotJ because it resembles the greek letter Λ. It may have even made it into the shooting script of the film, even if it was never stated in the film.

AFAIAC, if it was never explicitly stated on-screen, it's EU.
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garhkal
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 3:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perhaps we fans can come up with some of the missing letters..

I can see say, making the Rho, a medical shuttle, similar to that rebel EMV rescue unit you created a little while back. The Omicron a ship to shore mass transit shuttle (No hyperdrive capacity, limited space speed).
And maybe the Psi, some sort of Infiltration one for Compnor..
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CRMcNeill
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 5:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

garhkal wrote:
Perhaps we fans can come up with some of the missing letters..

That was my thinking, but there are a few ships that need to be reassigned, first.

Quote:
I can see say, making the Rho, a medical shuttle, similar to that rebel EMV rescue unit you created a little while back.

I don't recall creating one, but I did suggest something to that effect. The Sprint-Class Med-Runner from The Truce At Bakura Sourcebook fills that role quite nicely. IMO, it looks a little too much like the Gamma-Class Assault Shuttle to be a good fit with the stated mission (primarily the fact that it still has the Gamma's 40 individual spacetrooper hatches), but the concept is excellent. All it needs is some tractor beam projectors, plasma torches and other rescue equipment to be a viable rescue platform.

Quote:
The Omicron a ship to shore mass transit shuttle (No hyperdrive capacity, limited space speed).
And maybe the Psi, some sort of Infiltration one for Compnor..

Or just a general infiltration model. I re-did the stats for the Svelte-Class Shuttle from The Jedi Academy Sourcebook as a Special Operations Shuttle, so changing the name from Svelte- to Psi- isn't a hard switch.

As for the other, Greek Letters seem to be reserved for hyperspace-capable platforms, so assigning Omicron to a ship with a non-HS mission doesn't really fit.

The Theta-Class Landing Barge needs to be renamed, but it doesn't really fit with the HS-capable theme, either, and since the EU already uses Greek mythology for landing barges (the Y-85 Titan), I'd rather call the smaller Theta an Atlas- or Typhon-Class; Typhon would probably be more poetically appropriate, seeing as how the Theta looks very much like a smaller version of the Titan.

Incidentally, I left out the letter Epsilon. According to Wookieepedia, there is an Epsilon-Class Shuttle, but the page itself doesn't exist, nor can I find any record of an Epsilon-Class Shuttle related to Star Wars. As such, I'm going to add it to the Unassigned list.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

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Whill
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CRMcNeill wrote:
AFAIAC, if it was never explicitly stated on-screen, it's EU.

Ah. You're using EU to mean "not stated in films." Gotcha.
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CRMcNeill
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 04, 2020 6:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Giving this a bump because it came up somewhere else.

A related thought on this: because of the pattern of naming hyperspace capable shuttles after letters in the Greek Alphabet, I've always thought the Sentinel seemed the odd ship out. For the purposes of my own head-canon, I've renamed the Sentinel the Sigma-Class. YMMV.
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

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Whill
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 11, 2020 5:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CRMcNeill wrote:
A related thought on this: because of the pattern of naming hyperspace capable shuttles after letters in the Greek Alphabet, I've always thought the Sentinel seemed the odd ship out. For the purposes of my own head-canon, I've renamed the Sentinel the Sigma-Class. YMMV.

I'm not seeing a Sigma. This shuttle looks similar to the Lambda-class. When it lands, the wings fold up and it looks more like the letter Psi. So my suggestion is Psi-class Sentinel Troop Carrier. You still have that s-sound alliteration that you also get with Sigma.

https://rancorpit.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=176744#176744


Whill's Useless Skills Fun Fact #137: From memory, I can state the Greek alphabet to a lit match five times before it will burn someone's fingers.
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CRMcNeill
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 11:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I accede to your superior knowledge in these matters. Psi-Class it is.
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Whill
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 14, 2020 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

lol. Glad to be of service.





Tau Kappa Epsilon #1
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CRMcNeill
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 18, 2020 9:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Whill, in keeping with Tionese/Greek letters designating hyperspace-capable shuttles, what would you say to the Svelte-Class (which I've repurposed as a special missions shuttle) being redesignated as the Sigma?

Image
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"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

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Whill
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 18, 2020 12:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

CRMcNeill wrote:
Whill, in keeping with Tionese/Greek letters designating hyperspace-capable shuttles, what would you say to the Svelte-Class (which I've repurposed as a special missions shuttle) being redesignated as the Sigma?

Image

Yes, looking at the front view in the wings deployed configuration, I can see a reverse sigma on its side.
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CRMcNeill
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 11, 2020 5:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just came across an interesting contradiction...

The Eta-Class has been used twice in the canon, once for the Eta-Class Light Shuttle from Clone Wars, and again for the Eta-Class Cargo Barge from Rogue One.

Yet more shoddy continuity control from Disney.

Seeing as how the Light Shuttle was introduced before the Cargo Barge, I'm thinking the Cargo Barge needs to be renamed. Thoughts?
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