Was a "planned weakness in the Death Star" story really necessary?

No, I actually hate that idea. Anyone involved in engineering knows how easy it is for design flaws like this to leak into large, complex projects. That's how hacking works. Exploits of weakneses in programs.

Plus, the previous canon seemed to establish that the Rebels stole the plans and analyzed them to find a weakness.

Another HUGE problem with the notion of a "planned weakness" is if it was planned, then the way to defeat the station could be written on a napkin. You don't need to break into an Imperial facility and steal ALL of the plans when all you need to know is "type 'bootiesniffer' for a password and you always get in!".

And, since the weakness is planned, why couldn't the turncoat pilot have smuggled out the details?

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Project Mayhem ID: In life I am ur432978. In death, I have a name. My name is AfroGeek.

Speaking for myself, I think that it enhanced the overall story and it also really completed "A New Hope", because it explained why and how a mobile battle station as big, advanced and sophisticated as the Death Star would have such a glaring and obvious flaw, how it got there and who put it.

I also read James Luceno's "Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel" and that added even more background information and it really set up "Rogue One" and why Galen Erso would do what he did.

To me it made sense. Obviously I'm not going to overanalyse this and look at every detail...but in terms of storytelling it fit...

"Today is the tomorrow I was so worried about yesterday"--Anthony Hopkins

The movie is revisionist history, and now canon.

The plot throughout was rather poorly done, as was Episode VII.

These films are better than Jar Jar Binks, but they are not much more than the Marvel Universe sucking money out of our pockets.

Yes, it was super necessary.

"Ok, seriously, what kind of "trap" is that? The target is like impossible to hit UNLESS you're a Jedi, and even then, come on."

I don't know what you're talking about. I've done it hundreds of times at the arcade :P

I can only speak from someone who has not seen the Original trilogy.

But I like The Intentional Flaw.

It makes The story better for me...

Had The Intentional Flaw not been there, I dont think for me I would have been rooting as hard or felt the same at the end, Had they just stole the plans and handed them off, It wouldn't have been the same as Handing Them off and Knowing there was a way to beat the Death Star.

It made the mission to get the plans more important to me and Ultimately their Deaths more meaningful....but again I completely admit I'm probably not the best judge since I haven't seen The Original Trilogy...

I'm just speaking Solely from A regular Joe...I liked The Intentional flaw and think for me personally had The intentional flaw not been there, I'm not sure I would have liked the movie as much and felt The way I did about the characters and ending.

I dont know about "necessary" but I thought it worked out ok.

Reminds me of Galaxy Quest, with the traps inside the ship.