Minimalism

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What is Minimalism?

Minimalism is the use of numbers that seem absurdly low for the situation/universe. This is a common brain-bug, and one such example of minimalism run amok is is the so-called "3 million troopers" franchise decision. In a galaxy with at least a million worlds as part of the primary political entity, 3 million soldiers are entirely insufficient to fight a war on a pan-galactic scale. Other examples include the 200 vessel 'Katana' fleet in the Thrawn Trilogy, and the numbers provided for the majority of the battles during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion.

Why is this important?

While one could never call a space opera "realistic" certain things are expected. Tens of millions of men and women were mobilized during WW2, and no matter the level of technology, a certain number of "boots on the ground" would be required for any successful occupation.

Why do EU authors prefer minimalist stories?

In the decision to concentrate on a handful of characters in the SW franchise, most EU authors seemed to have opt to minimalize the importance of the greater universe. After all, with trillions of people out there it's hard to argue that a smuggler and a farmboy(even if he is a Jedi) are the be-all, end-all to everything important that happens.

Alternatively, some authors may be simply be unable to write to the numbers. Most EU material has been written during the immediate Post-Cold War Era of Operation Desert Storm and the operations in the Balkans, and the common layperson has come to equate high tech militaries with a minimal amount of ground troops. Whatever their talents may be, most EU authors are laypeople who very rarely, if ever, give much thought as to how the military really works.

Karen Traviss, an EU author known for her "Republic Commando" books, is among the worst offenders. She in the past has attempted to present her previous job with the Royal Navy Auxiliary Service and the Territorial Army as credentials for why her outline of the force structure for the Grand Army of the Republic is acceptable from a military point of view. The RNXS appears to have operated in a FEMA-like capacity for evcauations, and her description of her duties[1] indicates that she was a deck seaman. In the United States Navy these are the least qualified personnel, not trusting even of being a cook. She then served "Briefly" in the Territorial Army as a media specialist. As she did not serve in a signifigant capacity in a combat arms branch, her military credentials cannot be reasonably used to justify her prosed Grand Army of the Republic force structure.