u/RedLeader5590

R5: found a planet with both hazardous weather and an abandoned terraforming project

We will take the most eloquent example of the InterGalactic Banking Clan to show how TCW has progressively done whatever it wants with the worldbuilding of the Prequels and created an incoherent mess.

First, let's define what the Intergalactic Banking Clan is in the movies as released by George Lucas in their definitive version. To do this, we must first analyze what the Trade Federation is in TPM. In TPM, we discover that the Republic is home to megacorporations, companies that have become states, controlling multiple systems (as mentioned by Qui-Gon with “It'd be no different than if we landed on a system controlled by the Federation”), possessing droid armies, and a senator (with Lott Dod). In AOTC, we discover that the Trade Federation joins the CIS, as do other megacorporations. We must therefore assume that the Banking Clan is the same as the Trade Federation. San Hill even states that "The Banking Clan will sign your treaty," meaning that it will completely join the Separatists, as other systems and the other megacorporations present on Geonosis have done. In ROTS, we still see San Hill at the head of the CIS, along with others in megacorporations, which Palpatine even refers to as "Separatist leaders". This was respected by the EU, notably in Tartakovsky's CW, where the Republic invades the Banking Clan's capital, Muunilinst.

 

Then comes TCW.

 

First, in episode 4 of season 1, "Destroy Malevolence", the Banking Clan is still considered a megacorporation that has transitioned from a member state of the Republic to a member state of the CIS, as suggested by the prequels and the EU: "Yes. It was secretly given to him by the supreme executive of the Banking Clan himself. If they leave the Separatist alliance, it will go a long way toward shortening this war."

 

Then comes episode 4 of season 2, “Senate spy”, and episode 10 of season 3, "Heroes on Both Sides," where we learn that the Trade Federation was actually split in two by the Clone Wars, with one part still within the Republic and the other now within the CIS, even though the Republic half remains secretly allied with Count Dooku. The Banking Clan is presented in the same light, with a senator in the Republic. This is a major retcon by Filoni. He attributes it to Lucas, though this is questionable, as we have evidence that he repeatedly attributed ideas to Lucas that didn't originate with him. Moreover, the concept remains bizarre, because it admits that some of the megacorporations are completely aligned with the Separatists, but that the parts in the Republic are neutral and have the right to sell weapons to both sides, while still being, well, in the Republic: it's ludicrous.

Should we assume that the corporations are in fact extra-republican, but with representation in the republican senate to facilitate cooperation, and that a faction is fully aligned with the Separatists while the rest is neutral? Perhaps, but that's convoluted and not at all what we can understand by looking at the Prequels; indeed, it is suggested in AOTC that the corporations are not extra-national, but rather integral parts of the Republic, their joining the Separatists being seen as a betrayal of it: "What you are proposing could be construed as treason." (Shu Mai). One of the problems seems to be that Filoni treats these commercial entities too much like simple corporations, and not like megacorporations (i.e., states with territories, heads of state and armies).

It's a clumsy attempt by Filoni to add nuance to something pre-established by making it ridiculously absurd and complex: “Because something that's really come to light in The Clone Wars series is that George sees it as Separatists, Republic, and then in the middle is big business. The corporations. […] That all needs to come to light with Nute Gunray, Wat Tambor, San Hill, Passel Argente, all those guys and explaining who the Separatist Council is that you see in the films, versus the Separatist Senate, versus the Trade Federation and the guilds. The Commerce Guild, the Trade Federation, the Techno Union. That's why we have all those guys we've invented that have nothing to do with the Council that you see. Because in the EU, its always been seen as the Trade Federation are Separatists, but that's not true. Obi-Wan Kenobi witnessed a business deal going on. And in the business deal, he saw those corporate leaders telling Dooku they're going to sell him arms and sell him droids to build an army. That doesn't mean that those corporations don't also have deals with the Republic to give them arms, but it got blanketed in all the media that it was very black and white. But the Clone Wars is anything but black and white, as we know.” (It should also be noted that Filoni presents the provision of the corporations' armies to Dooku as a sale, which it was not in AOTC, but rather, well, a provision: "The Techno Union army is at your disposal, Count."; "Our friends from the Trade Federation have pledged their support and when their battle droids are combined with yours, we shall have an army greater than any in the galaxy.")

Except, of course, TCW couldn’t leave it at that! Because then comes episode 5 of season 6, “An Old Friend,” which retcons what the Banking Clan is AGAIN. We discover that it’s actually the equivalent of the IMF, therefore a neutral and supranational bank, separate from the Muun government (the Muun senator is now the senator of the Muun government, no longer the Banking Clan). And which, at the end of episode 7 of season 6, is nationalized by the Republic. Uh… okay… I get the metaphor, with the dystopian idea of ​​the USA nationalizing the IMF and using it for their own ends to control the world. But, well, what did San Hill do in AOTC? What did he still represent in ROTS to seat at the Separatist Council? Because what joined the Separatists when the Banking Clan (or whatever part of it) signed the treaty of Dooku? No territories… No droid armies… Money and officials, maybe? Great, I guess… But what's left after three years of war, especially since San Hill only took a fraction of the Banking Clan with him in AOTC? Do you see how flimsy this whole thing is? How we went from something simple and clear suggested by the movies to something profoundly complex, forcefully nuanced, and actually completely incoherent?

 

In short, no, TCW didn't fix the Prequels or improve their world-building. The CWMMP was better. Sorry for the rant.

So, this is my second game as the Resistance, the first one I'm in a place to finish (yes it's 2077 and this has taken way too long). I sent my elite fleet to Makemake to destroy their last main bases before cleaning up Haumea and ending the game. Unfortunatly, while my fleet way enroute, the Ayys pulled most of their fleet back to Makemake and met me with a doomstack. Is there literally anything I can do to save this fleet? It took a like 20 weeks to make the trip and cost a lot of exotics, so it would suck to rebuild. It's a pretty standard comp of laser and coil lancers, plus laser/plasma and coil,laser dreadnaughts.