Metrion Cascade wrote:Maybe we need to rethink this "warship or science ship" dichotomy. How many battles in Trek have been decided by someone at a science station finding a weakness in the enemy or something in the environment that could be used?
Combat is so much simpler if you bring enough firepower to the party. 90% of all combat will be against enemies with known abilities meaning the SF ships science facilities are wasted and their reduced firepower dangerous. Consider the many desperate battles SF have fought in which they have been forced to send lightly armed exploration crafts against dedicated warships. Exchange half the Mirandas for Defiants and the Dominion war would be over in a week. SF's decission not to build any dedicated warships have cost them hundreds of ships and perhaps millions of casualties. Restructuring SF to give it a fighting branch would make it far more effective and release explorations ships from tasks they are poorly suited for.
Galaxy combat:...
Lt#1: "The enemy have opened fire!"
WHAM!
Lt#1: "Shields down 40%!"
Cap: "Return fire!"
Lt#2: "Enemy shields holding."
WHAM!
Lt#1 "Shields down 75%!"
Cap: "Find a way to take down their shields!"
SciOff: "Yes sir."
WHAM! WHAM!!!
Lt#1: "Shields have failed! We have a ruptured plasma conduit on deck 12!"
SciOff: "They use a (particle of the week) reactor, perhaps if we hit them with a phase polarised burst of (radiation of the week) it would take down their shields."
Cap: "Do it!"
Lt#2: "Firing now sir. Enemy shield have failed!"
Lt#1: "Enemy is retreating."
Prometheus combat:...
Lt#1: "The enemy have opened fire!"
WHAM!
Lt#1: "Shields down 10%!"
Cap: "Return fire!"
Lt#2: "Enemy shields fluctuating."
WHAM!
Lt#1 "Shields down 15%!"
Cap: "Find a way to take down..."
Lt#2: "Enemy shields have failed!"
Lt#1: "Enemy is venting plasma and atmosphere!"
SciOff: "What did you want me to do sir?"
Lt#2: "Target has been destroyed sir."
Cap: "Never mind."
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