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Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-05-11 12:45pm
by Baffalo
Enigma wrote:Even if you detonate an antimatter pod, not all of the antimatter will explode at the same time. Chance are a good chunk would be pushed away from the blast.
The exact properties of the explosion will vary even if you use the same pod too. Is the pod a sphere? Chances are, no, it's a cylinder or some other object. Is the shot dead on or off to the side? That depends on your gunner, and that's one shot you just need to knick it to set it off, so precise gunnery isn't needed. Is there a traditional explosive surrounding the anti-matter on a timer? If so, is it synchronous or just there to go boom? There are tons of variables that can make the explosion more or less power and even alter the way the pressure expands. Explosions aren't perfect spheres, especially if the explosive isn't packed uniformly or in a sphere, so that can have a huge impact.

Also, the power dissipates by the inverse of the radius squared, meaning that doubling the distance between the enemy and the pod decreases the power against that same enemy by a factor of four. Sure, close by there's almost nothing that can withstand it, but if you move far enough away, the explosion will just fizzle against your shields.

Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-05-11 03:50pm
by Connor MacLeod
We're talking about pods? The OP asked for podes. PODES dammit! you people need to stay on track and stop hijacking this thread. :lol:

Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-05-11 11:24pm
by Baffalo
Connor MacLeod wrote:We're talking about pods? The OP asked for podes. PODES dammit! you people need to stay on track and stop hijacking this thread. :lol:
Quite right!
Wikipedia wrote:Podes was the son of Eetion in Greek mythology, and thus the brother of Andromache, wife of Hector, whom he is said to have befriended.[1] He fought on the side of the Trojans in the Trojan War, and was killed by Menelaus. However, in Book 6 of the Iliad Andromache claims that her seven brothers have been killed by Achilles. This contradiction is not resolved.
There you are. Podes.

Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-05-12 12:17am
by Enigma
Simon_Jester wrote:He wouldn't happen to be the guy you said "your Pakled mind tricks won't work here" to?
That is correct, sir!

I even had an avatar for him that used to replace his.

Image

Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-05-12 02:48am
by aussiemuscle308
Baffalo wrote: I like to think of myself as an equal opportunity asshole
translation: i don't care who or what you are, i'll point out your stupidity.

We could use a few more people like you.

Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-05-12 07:56am
by Baffalo
aussiemuscle308 wrote:
Baffalo wrote: I like to think of myself as an equal opportunity asshole
translation: i don't care who or what you are, i'll point out your stupidity.

We could use a few more people like you.
I thought that was fairly common around here. Certainly enough of my dumbass comments have been kicked around when I lose my mind.

Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-05-12 10:14am
by Darth Tedious
Baffalo wrote:
Wikipedia wrote:Podes was the son of Eetion in Greek mythology, and thus the brother of Andromache, wife of Hector, whom he is said to have befriended.[1] He fought on the side of the Trojans in the Trojan War, and was killed by Menelaus. However, in Book 6 of the Iliad Andromache claims that her seven brothers have been killed by Achilles. This contradiction is not resolved.
There you are. Podes.
But antimatter Podes is only able to detonate to full yield when combined with regular matter Podes, and he died quite some time ago...

Incidentally, the contradiction they mention shouldn't really be an issue- wasn't the Iliad considered a non-canon fanfic source? :P

Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-05-12 05:59pm
by Simon_Jester
The Iliad may only be considered non-canon you can survive the resulting volley of javelins from centuries of irate Greco-Roman warriors.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be the one to shout "CONCESSION ACCEPTED!" to a Greek phalanx.

Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-05-14 03:03am
by Revy
I know this is a bit late in the thread, but in an episode of TNG (Nth Degree I think it was) they were being chased by a probe and couldn't risk firing photorps at it, even with their shields at full strength, because they were worried they'd destroy themselves firing them at such close range. I think. And then Barclay had to supercharge the shields so they could fire the torps and blow up the probe without destroying themselves.

... which is stupid if I am remembering that right. If they can't even survive a photorp going off near to them, how the hell can they survive actually being shot with several of them by an enemy? Bleh.

Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-05-14 07:46am
by Baffalo
Revy wrote:I know this is a bit late in the thread, but in an episode of TNG (Nth Degree I think it was) they were being chased by a probe and couldn't risk firing photorps at it, even with their shields at full strength, because they were worried they'd destroy themselves firing them at such close range. I think. And then Barclay had to supercharge the shields so they could fire the torps and blow up the probe without destroying themselves.

... which is stupid if I am remembering that right. If they can't even survive a photorp going off near to them, how the hell can they survive actually being shot with several of them by an enemy? Bleh.
Because it's writers with backgrounds in anything BUT engineering trying to write about science and futuristic technology. They don't have a clue what they're on about.

Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-05-14 08:26pm
by Sea Skimmer
Never mind the fact that the photon torpedoes are often moving slower then WW2 torpedo planes would have. Man the ack ack guns? Thank god the latest Trek movie finally recognized that and had them blowing up incoming missiles.

Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-05-14 09:30pm
by Batman
Unless that probe was ludicrously close, the inverse square law makes that highly dubious. Until DS9 at least photorps were omnidirectional explosives, and even a distance of a 1000 metres would mean the torp hitting the probe would inflict a tiny fraction of the yield of a direct hit on the Big E's shields.

Re: Why did we not see anti-matter podes used weapon more of

Posted: 2011-06-06 08:55pm
by Swindle1984
Enigma wrote:
JasonB wrote:IN star Terk why not seen anti-matter pode used weapons more often. Why only seen once get used Voyager as weapon.
If you drove a tank, would you toss your gas tank at your enemies? What am I fucking saying! Of course you would! You are Jason, the fucked up moron that should be playing with matches and dynamite at the same time. :)
Unless he has fused blasting caps to go along with the dynamite, I don't think the matches factor in. Maybe if it was matches and black powder he was playing with...

Or if he started juggling the dynamite... Hmm... Yeah, he probably would.