Minimalism

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 part of the primary political entity, 3 million soldiers are entirely insufficient to fight a war. Other examples include the '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 what level of technology you're at, a certain number of "boots on the ground" would be required for any successful occupation(as Coalition forces are finding out in Iraq).

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 past work with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as credentials for why her outline of the force structure is acceptable from a military point of view. The RFA is similiar to the US Navy's Sealift Command and is NOT, strictly speaking, a uniformed service. Rather, those are support vessels(Oilers, supply ships) manned by civilians.