Quadanium Steel vs Quadranium: Discussion

[Ellie Mors]

First, I would like to preface the topic of this discussion that this is meant to just be a discussion I'm bringing up based on research into the two "different" materials and how the two have been used in publishing (real world publishing of books/source material for canon).

• Quadanium Steel was first used in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) in the actual movie as the material that the Death Star was constructed out of. It was also the material that the TIE/LN Starfighters were made from. In The Essential Atlas this was mistakenly named "Quadranium steel" when the First Death Star was being detailed, which was noted to be incorrect as the movie itself referred to it as Quadanium Steel.
  
  This book was published on 18 August 2009, more than 10 years after the first use of Quadranium in a canon source (The earliest publication I have found is The Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology from 1997)

• Quadranium was first mentioned, as far as I can find, in the above-mentioned source book (The Guide to Weapons and Technology) as a material used for starship fuel tanks, and later for droid armors and bladed weapons. Not much else is stated or uses this material. This was later incorrectly used as name for the steel used to construct the First Death Star in the Essential Atlas source book, in 2009 (more than 30 years after the original movie was released).

As the spelling is so similar between the two, one can easily be confused (I often have to double-check which one I'm talking about by searching first just because the only difference is the presence of an R or the lack thereof). With how often spelling errors in SW publications has shown up, however, and with how easy it is to simply add or forget an R in a word, or cite a typo as the correct spelling, I'm going to bring up the question I've been posing to myself for a while:

Is Quadranium and Quadanium intended to be the same metal?

Based on the fact that the metal was incorrectly referred to as "Quadranium Steel" in The Essential Atlas, as opposed to "Quadanium Steel" in the actual movie, I've been wondering if the intent was to refer to the same metal as that used on the Death Star but it has been spelled one of two ways so often that people have taken it (on Wookieepedia) to being two different metals entirely.

So I'd like us to discuss our thoughts on this matter.

[member="Reshmar"] [member="Gir Quee"] [member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Raziel"] [member="Isley Verd"] [member="Cira"] [member="Jamie Pyne"] [member="Zephyr Carrick"] [member="Zef Halo"] [member="Spencer Varanin"]

 

[Cira]

I think they are the same metal.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

I think without any kind of common point of reference - in terms of hardness or durability or density or ductility or special properties - the distinction, if any, is moot. Does such a point of reference exist? Is this something that invites potential abuses, or will it induce another level of 2.0-anachronistic complication?

*falls back asleep mid-thought*

 

[Gir Quee]

This is pure conjecture on my part, but I too think that they were probably intended to be the same thing.

That being said, like Jorus suggests, I don't see this distinction doing much in terms of actual gameplay use right now. I do think that it would be interesting if we did have a primerguide on materials and their rough properties though.

 

[Ellie Mors]

It's just a question that entered my mind, no decision is hinging on this discussion. Just curious about what everyone's view is.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

I am almost 100% certain they are the same material. Common typographical error. Though I don't see why, if we were so curious, couldn't simply email the folks who wrote that book and ask for clarification. Seems like a simple enough thing for them to say yes we made an error, or no they are different. Who knows, maybe they haven't even noticed it yet? Barring that though I would say they're the same.