Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mmintl.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka
From: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: "cute" Ewoks
Message-ID: <580@mmintl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Aug-85 14:50:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: mmintl.580
Posted: Fri Aug  9 14:50:52 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Aug-85 06:28:24 EDT
References: <3158@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Reply-To: franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams)
Organization: Multimate International, E. Hartford, CT
Lines: 39
Summary: I am an equal opportunity skeptic


In article <3158@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> bnw@crash.UUCP writes:
>     There has been much speculation about the ability of little Ewoks to
>produce the kind of attack depicted in the film.  I would agree with those
>who suggest that this is a hunting society, so some of the item seen would
>have been built; another idea presented by someone here was that the Storm-
>troopers had been a problem for the Ewoks for some time, and the Ewoks had
>already been fighting back.
>     Still, I think Ewoks, as presented would have a greater capability than
>they have been credited with.  I think there has been an erroneous tendency
>to look at a little Ewok and dismiss any possibility of heavy work quickly.
>I submit, however, that four to six Ewoks could chop down a tree in an hour,
>and fifty Ewoks, using a primitive form of block and tackle, could raise the
>stripped log.  Others could use ordinary levers to move logs into a pile
>restrained by a keystone-type lever.

My doubts that the Ewoks could have prepared their defenses as quickly as
they did were not based on denigrating their physical characteristics.
Let me clarify by stating that I don't think a group of humans at the same
cultural level could have built those defenses in less than a few weeks,
either.

There are several problems with a faster schedule.  First, note that there
must have been more defenses which were not triggered in the movie.  The
Ewoks had to prepare for walkers emerging from the installation in any
direction, unless they were to rely on really incredible luck.

Second, note that the defenses were specifically oriented to fighting the
Imperials.  I do not think such a variety could have been invented
overnight; and even if invented, relatively few craftsmen can make a
new invention accurately the first time.  There is a learning curve
involved.  This is especially true for group activities.

Finally, I think you underestimate the difficulty of building some of
these things with primitive tools.  Consider medieval siege engines,
which took weeks to build with better tools.  A pile of logs (one of the
simpler devices) seems trivial, but it must be set up to be stable until
you are ready to use it, then go rolling quickly in the proper direction
when released.  I would expect a modern army to take at least a day or two
to get it right.