I'm not sure if a thread like this is allowed, but I wanted to be able to talk about the ships specifically. I found it interesting that we finally have a Dreadnaught on screen in Star Wars. Although, like Snoke, it went out like a chump. I also found it amusing that while the Resistance wasn't able to take out a single Star Destroyer, somehow they took out the Dreadnaught and Snoke's ship. Speaking of Snoke's ship, I'm not sure if you could repair that. By Executor standards, it should have blown up. And also, how big are the First Order Star Destroyers versus the Dreadnaught and Snoke's ship? And just to be clear, Snoke's ship was a different class of vessel than the Dreadnaught? Also shouldn't the First Order be pretty demoralized by the destruction of the Starkiller base, their Dreadnaught and Snoke's ship?
The loss of Starkiller Base was nothing compared to the loss of five complete Republic worlds. The FO lost no capital ships in the incident. From what I gathered, it seems like the Resistance is a guerilla, unauthorized organization. The Republic is a large power (pretty much defunct after TFA) and the FO was a relatively minor power. Like the FO started bullying around small systems and the Republic decided to appease them. From what I've heard it seems that the books and other media back up my conjectures. So right now a lot of the galaxy is still probably rebuilding from the Palpatine Era. It doesn't take much to get other systems to fall in line if you've proven that you can destroy five worlds at once. Sure your base is gone, but you did it once and can do it again. I honestly think that the FO doesn't have much more than Snoke's ship, a few star destroyers and a couple of dreadnaughts. Also, SIDE NOTE: I propose that we call those Resistance bombers "Capital B-wings". as opposed to "lowercase B-wings".
I kind of wonder if Starkiller was meant to be lost. After all, Snoke didn't seem too bothered by the news of its destruction when Hux reported it at the end of TFA, certainly not in comparison to how he flipped out when Hux failed to take down the Resistance at the start of TLJ. In fact, I would guess Starkiller's inevitable destruction was expected, but since they had already taken out the Hosnian system it was sort of a "we still accomplished our goals anyway." And to be fair, in one shot, Starkiller certainly made more of an impact on the galaxy than the Death Star did. The Dreadnaught and Snoke's ship are more significant losses for the First Order, but they presumably are either in the process of taking over Republic shipyards that were located elsewhere in the galaxy or perhaps even former Imperial ones, so they'll soon have more ships being cranked out, and for the time being with the Resistance limited to just the Millennium Falcon and the Republic Fleet apparently gone, it's not like they have any real opposition anyway.
How many of those Star Destroyers were wrecked in the shock wave-y effect of Snoke's Mega-class Star Destroyer getting hit? I mean that ship wasn't destroyed, but they'd probably have to do with truncating it down to keep it as a floating capital. I do wonder how many more ships the First Order has, or if some of these ships are more common with other galactic powers. It seems like their are more Dreadnoughts in the Galaxy like this one. It could also just be an old Imperial ship we'd not seen before. The Mega-class ship is supposedly unique. The First Order Star Destroyers of course are not unique, and while larger than the old Imperial-class Star Destroyers, seem to be a battleship-carrier hybrid more like the Old Republic's Venator-class Star Destroyers from the Clone Wars. One can only guess how the First Order takes power with the resources we are presented, but perhaps the New Republic was just an empty shell of a government holding the former Empire in check with Old Republic systems that hadn't worked originally anyway. For all we know, most of the Galaxy went independent following the Civil War.
Although I really wonder how the First Order was able to build these massive ships when they're so small compared to the Empire and the Empire had the resources of the whole galaxy.
We know from TLJ that the First Order mined worlds like Rose's, and that the profits went into financing the First Order's military. We, also, know that the First Order has a solid stable of weapons dealers, who have become extremely wealthy, and that some of them were at Canto Bight.
There are enough old Imperialist/corporate supporters that can get rich making weapons seems to be the answer presented by the film. Though they also make weapons for the Republic. I guess after the fall of the Empire, the nationalized companies were able to do their own thing and eventually supported the First Order in a similar manner that the corporations supported the Separatists in the Clone Wars. Best guess is that the Republic was not so good for business. Mining out the planet that became Starkiller Base, with a lot of kyber crystals, would make for a lot of bank for Snoke.
How's that? The rebellion sacrificed an entire wing of their fleet to take out one ship with a couple of hundred bombs. Should a farmboy with no training have magically located an open window and lobbed a torpedo though it? The rebellion then had to sacrifice a general and their capital ship to defeat Snoke's big triangle. Seemed unchumpy to me. Plus I don't recall seeing the new rebellion trying to take on a large capital ship in TFA, rather focussing their energies elsewhere. The last time they had a significant victory against an empire/order dreadnaught was an unfortunate A-Wing pilot who barelled his way onto the bridge of the Executor. But they didn't have the right WW2 technology back in ROTJ to get the job done. Hugo - unpicking nits
I can accept the loss of the dreadnought - it's name is Fulminitrix, by the way - as a well placed explosive or explosives can totally destroy a warship, like what happen with the Hood or the Arizona. I am hoping the ancillary material - the illustrated book, for instance - will give more information on the area impacted by the bomber. I am still wrapping my mind around how the Executor was taken down. Normally, a warship can survive with its bridge destroyed. Until we get confirmation, I can not see see Snoke's ship, the Supremacy, being destroyed. It is wrecked with its right wing totally clipped off. However, the central mass and the left wing are intact. I can see it being towed back to space dock, or the Star Wars equivalent, and being repaired.
The Supremacy looked salvageable. But she is 60km wide. The Executor was taken down by multiple factors, the A-wing was the last straw that broke her. She was being fired on by all the Rebel ships by the point. Her bridge shields fell long enough for the fighter to ram into it. But the damage seen as she starts to fall out of orbit of the Death Star is massive. Not only is the entire bridge tower in flames, there are flames coming out of the bottom of the ship as well. Something bad happened to that ship and she went off course into the gravity well and impacted the surface. Though I had always thought flying a Super Star Destroyer at light speed into the center of Death Star would finish the battle station off. As an alternative if they didn't manage to get the plans delivered to Yavin 4. The Millennium Falcon can still make great entrances though.
The reaction in the theater when I saw it was pretty interesting. There was a collective audible "gasp!", followed by complete silence (matching that on-screen). Pretty cool effect. What was it they said? "They really hate that ship!"
Amazon has preview pages up for the incredible cross section book if you're looking for more ship technical info. Preview pages includes some Rebel ships, the A-Wing and Kylo's TIE. https://www.amazon.ca/Star-Wars-Last-Incredible-Cross-Sections/dp/1465455523 Wookieepedia is being updated with info from that book and the Visual Dictionary The loss of Starkiller was a set back, but it did it's Job before it was destroyed which is why Snoke wasn't bothered by it. The Supremacy however was the First Order's HQ, they don't have a 'home world' the Supremacy was the "home world", it had factories that could build everything from AT-STs to Star Destroyers. Fun fact, the Supremacy was hinted at in the TFA Visual Dictionary on the Starkiller page, their a line about the First Order's actual HQ being mobile.
I liked seeing the SF-17 bomber, which seems to be a beefier B-Wing. The targeting and priming sequence is interesting, figure all that could be handled in the cockpit though. Really liked seeing the new A-Wings as well.