Thread by @vc

1/ Here is how the abomination that is the AT-ST came about. Spoiler alert, it comes down to compromises & mission creep.

"Initial Requirement: We need a small dropship deliverable armored sentry tower (ST) for forward operating bases with space for 4 sentries"

An early sketch:

2/ "Requirement Creep 1: Can we make It mobile at full height?

3/ Engineer:

I guess... but we'll need to use an awkward 2 legged design & we'll need to strip armor off to reduce weight & keep the center of gravity low for stability. We'll round the hull so small arms are deflected.

Here is an initial sketch:

4/ "Nice sketch but look, it isn't tall enough to see anything so screw the center of gravity, make it taller. Put it on chicken legs if you need too. Our stick jockeys will make it work in the field.

Also, cut the rounded corners. Too expensive to fabricate.

5/ Engineer: Ok, will do sir, but just so you know without the armor or the low profile shape our guys are going to be sitting ducks up there in the mobile sentry tower.

A sketch:

6/ "Requirement Creep 2: Can we make a light squad support version? What is the value of a sentry tower without any armament? (AT-ST)."

7/ Engineer: Ok... but now we'll need to add a couple lasers & increase the poweplant size so we won't have room for sentries. We can only fit a pilot. Thats fine we'll install a revolutionary sensor suite. Better than sentries.

8/ "Creep 3: Can we use it to provide anti armor support to AT-ATs? Stupid snow-speeders are causing havoc out there. Oh but whatever you do try to keep the costs down"

Here is a briefing on how the speeders are being used by rebel scum.

9/ Engineer: JESUS FUCKING CHRIST KILL ME NOW.

(ps can you believe the empire requires engineers to wear full trooper gear to the office?)

10/ Engineer: Uhhh, we can do this but to add in a heavy blaster we need to use lighter materials for the legs & to keep cost low we'll adapt a legacy powerplant. Our max range & speed just got halved. Oh.. all the armor is gone too

must be an extra engine around here somewhere

11/ "Creep 4: Bang up job engineer. One more request. We need it capable of doing long range recon & operating without fleet support. We need a smaller logistics footprint & room for 2 weeks worth of gear."

Engineer: With all due respect lord Vader, we can't make this work...

12/ WHY WHY WHY did I join the empire. Sure its a stable check and a mission I believe in but the bureaucracy, politics, & Sith are draining the life from me!

I guess I thought I'd be a pilot like @MergeNewsletter & they'd pay for my school. How'd I end up in acquisitions?🤷‍♂️ FML

13/ OK, fine. We CAN do this.

The advanced sensor suite is pretty fragile, it won't work without support and maintenance in the field anyway.

Scrap it.

Our "sentry tower" doesn't need sensors plus the pilots have eyes and radios.

14/ "Creep 5: this is great work buuuut the Galactic senator for the Trade Federation won't appropriate the money we need for the program unless we contract w/ them to build some of the AT-ST components . Switch the blasters out for Trade Federation standard light laser blasters"

15/ Engineer: #@$@^Q%

Can do. Since trade federation lasers are weaker & take up more space than imperial ones we'll need to tear out the pilot's seat

We'll just have pilots stand against the rear bulkhead. I'll install wall straps for them so they don't get flung around.. much

16/ What the fleet admiral on Coruscant thinks he is getting is a highly capable, inexpensive, multi-role platform that will support the efforts of the empire for decades.

17/ What the colonel who ran the AT-ST program thinks they're getting is something that superficially passes for adequate and that made enough stakeholders happy to get into production.

"I'll be a flag officer before anyone sees this in the field."

18/ What the empire actually receives:

19/ AND that is how we end up w/ an armored sentry/escort vehicle that isn't armored, can barely move, can't carry sentries, lacks a sophisticated sensor suite, can't deliver lethality, is 15 years late, is way over budget & is obsolete before its ever sees Endor.

Drink up pal

20/ Thanks to @lizvstein @rob_lh and @madscienceskill for the most fun twitter prompt I've seen in awhile :-)

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