Light Saber or Tron Identity Disc?

Television, Movies Games and Books Other Science Fiction
#1

Greetings programs!

Which would you rather have, a light saber (your choice of color, of course) or a Tron data disc? Why?

Light Saber
+Cuts through anything/anyone. Awesome.
+Deflects laser blasts, and I think it stands to reason that it would be a good defense against small-caliber ballistic weapons as well.
+Instantly cauterizes any wound, thereby reducing clean up efforts.
+Can be used to make a nice warm place to sleep.+Many sizes, styles, and colors available.
-Needs batteries. ugh…
-User must be trained in The Force to become adept.

Data Disc
+Causes enemies to derez when struck.
+Can be used as a shield.
+Returns like a boomerang.
+Can be used to communicate with your user. My user happens to be my wife.
+Makes a handy-dandy drinking glass.
-Only exists on a computer system.
-Only comes in blue (yay) or red (boo).

Overlooking the obvious problem of not having (yet) scanned myself into the game grid I have to choose the Tron data disc. Why? Because even though the light saber is SO much more practical I LOVE the idea of being able to huck a Frisbee (Oops, I mean “novelty flying disc”) at my enemies from a distance, make them disappear, (no fuss, no muss, no mess to clean up) and have that sucker return to my hand.

I’m also partial because one of my fondest memories as a kid is my brother and I playing “Tron”. We used to keep Frisbees (Oops, I mean “novelty flying discs”) in our backpacks and when one of us yelled “GO” we proceeded to knock each others teeth out with them.

Honestly, I think that would still be fun today at the age of thirty-five. :smiley:

Now, back to my demolecularization/recombining gun!

…end of line.

#2

This should be in the deathmatch thread I suppose…

I would prefer the lightsaber I suppose, it has more of a coolness factor. And I would like to feel things slicing apart as I attack them.

#3

I’m torn because I’m liable to kill myself with either one. Would that make me eligible for the Darwin Award?

Anyway, I’ll go with lightsaber. I have enough cups to drink from.

#4

Makes a frakin’ plasma sword seem safe.

#5

Hmm, I think I can graft a poll onto this.

…crap, did I really just say that? :smiley:

Anyway I have given this a lot of thought as I am a huge fan of both franchises.

I am forced to wonder if the math changes if we assume you are not putting the weapon into the hands of an expert. Meaning you or I come across a lightsaber/identity disc, which are we able to use quickly and with less training?

A lightsaber basically requires years of training and a supernatural ability. A Tron disc requires the ability to huck a frisbee. If you make a mistake with your Tron disc it isn’t going to take a limb off. Disc wins.

Now if you put a Jedi master with a lightsaber in a room and Tron himself in a room here is what happens: Tron hucks his disc, the Jedi stops the disc in midair with the force, cuts the disc in half with one slash and then cuts Tron in half with the second slash. In the hands of their respective experts: Lightsaber wins.

#6

Solai states it best. Have fun pole grafting.

#7

Yeah, I guess it would have been more fun to make it a death match. I didn’t really think there was much of a contest in the “rock-paper-scissors” department, I can see the lightsaber winning hands down every time.

If someone thinks this is worth moving to the deathmatch section (I doubt it!) and adding a poll the details would be:

Light saber and data disc wielded by average humans.

George Bush Jr. with the light saber in one corner
Handicap: no newk-yu-ler wepins, no face-shooting Dick Cheney (whose super power is the ability to escape justice)

Barack Obama with the data disc in the other
Handicap: no health insurance

FIGHT!

I agree with Solai, full Jedi vs. Tron = Jedi pwnage.
What if you used Flynn instead of Tron? Flynn is a user and therefore can’t be killed in the game grid.

#8

Although funny, we generally eschew politics here. As you can imagine it might skew the poll slightly. If you give a different scenario I’ll see what I can do about grafting on the poll.

#9

Got it, I figured I’d pick on both sides of the aisle to keep it fair.

Let’s see… Something equally silly but un-skewable… The trick is to make sure the inherent skills of one character don’t give them an advantage over the other…

K, got it. Might as well add some hotness while I’m at it…

From the Star Trek: Enterprise episodes “In a Mirror, Darkly” episodes 1 & 2:

“Good” T’Pol vs. “Evil” T’pol. Fighting abilities should be interchangeable for both, don’t you think?

#10

What if they were both in the computer and the Disc is capable of blocking the Lightsaber? It is too one sided in favor of the Lightsaber otherwise. A Jedi vs Tron where neither weapon could destroy the other would be sweet. I do have to say the Disc is much cooler.

#11

a weapon outside of the computer generated ‘Tron World’ that is nearly as cool, is the glaive from Krull, you can control it using your mind. So it can spin and cut and weave in an unpredicable manner which would make it hard to block or defend against.