Can someone tell me the point of Star Wars AT-AT's?

[tridim]

Did they have a high center of gravity just so the Jedi could easily tip them over? Considering the Star Wars world has anti-gravity crafts like speeder bikes, why didn't the Empire just use them instead of gigantic mechanical camels?

Yep, I'm a wee bit bored tonight. :)

[Eric J in MN]

1. It's to kill enemies behind short walls (nt)

nt

[Radical Activist]

2. Because they look real freakin cool!

Come on, everybody knows that most efficient mode of travel is one that mimics animals. They are the War Elephants of the Galactic Empire.

[DS1]

3. In a word

Toys

[Kire]

4. to sell toys?

they were pretty big and cool looking when I was a kid, I remember just being very excited about the AT-AT's.

the two legged kind on Endor in Return of the Jedi just weren't the same, so I fixated on the Gammorean Guards in that one

[tridim]

5. Make no mistake, I think they're cool as hell too

But they still don't make any sense. Maybe they were designed by the Ton-tons? :P

Then again, Luke's X-Wing also had the graphics capability of a Commodore Vic-20, and R2-D2 was not a well designed robot at all. It's amazing he made it 5 feet in that desert with only three rubber wheels.

[everythingsxen]

6. A "real" answer for a fictional universe (or galaxy far, far away)

The AT-ATs pictured above, used in The Empire Strikes Back were based on an earlier design, used in Attack of the Clones. The earlier design was used by the Republic against it's foes. THe Jedis were on the Republics side.

After Palpatine/Emprorer/Darth Sideous locks himself in office and destroys the Jedi, he does so via Vader and I am sure other, more underhanded methods.

The AT-AT has a very simple purpose. To get troops past base shields for deployment. The AT-AT stands for "All Terrain Armored Transport".

The general idea is, to be able to have it get over terrain which treaded and hover vehicles might not.

Here are some excerpts from a site that explains the AT-AT well.

--SNIP--
Mobile Infantry Combat Vehicles: The AT-AT Walker
General Capabilities

The most famous type of Imperial armoured vehicle needs little in the way of introduction. The AT-AT (All Terrain Armoured Transport) walker is a heavy assault vehicle which combines some of the characteristics of tanks, artillery, and MICVs. Although one could make an argument for its classification in any of those categories, its cargo capacity (40 men and 5 speeder bikes) leads to a primary classification as an MICV, albeit one of astonishing size and power. There are enough misconceptions about the AT-AT walker that it deserves its own discussion, so it will be discussed separately from other Imperial MICVs.

An AT-AT's basic capabilities are fairly well known: its armour shrugged off direct hits from Rebel artillery fire or snowspeeder guns in the Battle of Hoth. Its combination of two heavy chin-mounted guns and two light side-mounted blasters (seen above) have variable firepower and enough flexibility to target and destroy anything from infantrymen to enemy artillery pieces, low-flying aircraft, and even entire installations as far away as the visible horizon. However, its mechanized underside is vulnerable if you can get close enough to exploit it, and it has two dorsal vents which appear to be vulnerable points. Its maximum speed over flat terrain ground is said to be over 60 km/h, which would mean that it can cover its own length in roughly 2 seconds at full speed.

--SNIP--

http://www.stardestroyer.net/Empire/Tech/Ground/Armour-SW.html

[KSAtheist]

7. George Lucas.

George Lucas has no need for your "physics", and "rationality." To George Lucas, THEY LOOK KEWL. That's all that counts.

In fairness, the Atari 2600 ESB game--one of the greatest--wouldn't have been the same without them.

[mattclearing]

8. having watched the Empire DVD recently, I have to say...

...that in retrospect, these things make really shitty tactical weapons.

Why would you want to employ feet if a wheel alternative was readily available?

The Imperial engineer corps can also be faulted for building a battle station shaped like a planet, the two-legged at-st's, and the bizarre freak of aero-dynamic nature known as the Tie-fighter.

[7th_Sephiroth]

9. there is alot to be said

about intimidation

[RoyGBiv]

10. Aerodynamics ...

As long as we're picking nits, since the TIE Fighter was primarily a vehicle for battles in space, aerodynamics wouldn't really apply.

And what's wrong with a spherical battle station?

I agree thought that the two-legged at-at's were completely ridiculous.

[mattclearing]

12. I'm sure the Tie-Fighters were expected to fly in atmosphere at some point

The spherical battle station just seems silly...like the easiest thing in the world to hit. Practically immobile if mobile at all. Has to wait for gravitational spin in order to aim planet-death beam. It's all so inconvenient.

[RoyGBiv]

13. Don't recall that ...

I know the X-Wings flew in the atmosphere at times, but I don't recall that from TIE fighters.

As for the battle station, it could travel at light speed (or, Ludicrous Speed, whichever you prefer :-)), IIRC. It had to get to the places it intended to blow up.

After that, the size of the thing became an issue. I suppose normal thrusters weren't adequate for maneuvering. But then the size of the thing, and the associated defense systems, was what offset how easy it was to hit.

[tridim]

11. I might be wrong, but I think Tie-Fighters are a space only vehicle

No need for aerodynamics.. Although you might think those huge side wings might cause a bit of a blind spot. Not good for dog fighting.

[Hatalles]

15. I think they have atmospheric flight capablity...

At least in the Rogue Squadron games they did... but I'm not sure if that's regarded as Star Wars "canon."

[KSAtheist]

14. Horrible field of fire, too.

The damn things point straight ahead.