Klingon torpedo launchers/Cardassian phasers actually deflectors

[Disillusioned]

I remember seeing something by Andrew Probert where he pointed out that what he'd originally intended to be the deflector dish on the TNG Romulan warbird ended up being used as a disruptor in the VFX. I was wondering if that might not be the same case with the Klingon warships and the Cardassian ships in particular, because I think the Cardassian ships at least had these little pyramid-shaped phaser emitters in different parts of the hull. Anyone know or have any thoughts?

 

[JNG]

I don't think it is so for the Klingons, but in the case of the Cardassians, VFX put in some weapons firing from the deflector (as opposed to the little pyramid things that Mr. Sternbach intended to be disruptor arrays); in the DS9 TM, it acknowledges this and says that the Cardassian ships have deflectors which incorporate disruptor arrays.

Fortunately, this doesn't seem to difficult to rationalize, considering that 1.) the deflector is also designed to throw a good bit of energy around and 2.) there is plenty of real estate even for a totally separate device to be installed in that area, particularly on the Warbird.

 

[Falconfire]

I don't think it is so for the Klingons, but in the case of the Cardassians, VFX put in some weapons firing from the deflector (as opposed to the little pyramid things that Mr. Sternbach intended to be disruptor arrays); in the DS9 TM, it acknowledges this and says that the Cardassian ships have deflectors which incorporate disruptor arrays.

Fortunately, this doesn't seem to difficult to rationalize, considering that 1.) the deflector is also designed to throw a good bit of energy around and 2.) there is plenty of real estate even for a totally separate device to be installed in that area, particularly on the Warbird.

Yep the Klingons too and that goes as far back as TAS. The port on the front of the D7 was a deflector port, NOT a torpedo port. This was changed in TAS and followed thru to TMP.

 

[Praetor]

Mr. Probert has definitely said that he originally established the D'Deridex to have ten disruptors, none of them in the deflector. So presumably the effects people goofed on Mr. Sternbach's Galor in the same way. Why no one thought to ask them is beyond me, especially when you consider that both men have been more than willing to answer our fan questions here before.

And here I thought this thread was going to suggest that the Cardassian ships used their disruptors for point defense.

My point still stands.

 

[JNG]

I don't think it is so for the Klingons, but in the case of the Cardassians, VFX put in some weapons firing from the deflector (as opposed to the little pyramid things that Mr. Sternbach intended to be disruptor arrays); in the DS9 TM, it acknowledges this and says that the Cardassian ships have deflectors which incorporate disruptor arrays.

Fortunately, this doesn't seem to difficult to rationalize, considering that 1.) the deflector is also designed to throw a good bit of energy around and 2.) there is plenty of real estate even for a totally separate device to be installed in that area, particularly on the Warbird.

Yep the Klingons too and that goes as far back as TAS. The port on the front of the D7 was a deflector port, NOT a torpedo port. This was changed in TAS and followed thru to TMP.

Well...the ship in question was different in TAS than it was in TOS, the TAS D7(?) having a protruding section (due to following the model kit instructions) instead of a "mouth." The TMP ships were of a different class that resembled the D7 in general lines only, and the models were much more detailed, but by the point that detailing was done it seems the decision was made that the "mouth" launched weapons.

It may be that the "mouth" on the D7 was meant to be a deflector or contained one on some versions of the "real" ship, but if it were really supposed to be something analogous to the big dish on the front of Enterprise, I'm surprised a depression was chosen.

The Klingon BOP obviously came after this and its "mouth" firmly established as a weapons launcher in its first appearance, and the other Klingon ships since then don't really look as if they have a forward structure much like this as all. Vor'cha has some glowing forward top-and-bottom structures that might have something to do with deflector systems, while Negh'var doesn't have anything even as prominent as those.

 

[Disillusioned]

The thing that always bothered me about the nose torpedo launcher was that it always seemed larger than it really ought to for what it was firing, and on the battlecruiser it seemed sort of light for something that was supposed to be a full-on warship.

Mr. Probert has definitely said that he originally established the D'Deridex to have ten disruptors, none of them in the deflector.

Does anyone happen to have a picture of this? If I ever get around to the whole CGI thing something like that could be pretty useful.

So presumably the effects people goofed on Mr. Sternbach's Galor in the same way. Why no one thought to ask them is beyond me, especially when you consider that both men have been more than willing to answer our fan questions here before.

Stuff like that has always confused and disappointed me as well, sort of like that phaser shot out of the E-D's torpedo launcher and the weird energy beam out of the captain's gig when the dialog refers to the phaser array. I think they did that in another episode, too, where the E-D and a Rommie ship were frozen in time, and the dialog mentioned a beam coming from the deflector, but the FX showed a beam coming from somewhere on the "neck" of the E-D.

 

[CuttingEdge100]

From what I remember the dent in the front of the D-7 was not supposed to originally be a torpedo launcher but a sensor/navigational deflector dish.

In TMP it was made into a torpedo tube...

 

[Praetor]

Mr. Probert has definitely said that he originally established the D'Deridex to have ten disruptors, none of them in the deflector.

Does anyone happen to have a picture of this? If I ever get around to the whole CGI thing something like that could be pretty useful.

If you look at any picture of the miniature (here are some good ones) each of the hemisphere domes like the "eyes" on either side of the "head" is a disruptor, and indeed there are ten. (I'm working on doing a MSD for the D'Deridex but it's nowhere near ready yet.)

So presumably the effects people goofed on Mr. Sternbach's Galor in the same way. Why no one thought to ask them is beyond me, especially when you consider that both men have been more than willing to answer our fan questions here before.

Stuff like that has always confused and disappointed me as well, sort of like that phaser shot out of the E-D's torpedo launcher and the weird energy beam out of the captain's gig when the dialog refers to the phaser array. I think they did that in another episode, too, where the E-D and a Rommie ship were frozen in time, and the dialog mentioned a beam coming from the deflector, but the FX showed a beam coming from somewhere on the "neck" of the E-D.

Yeah. I mean, I know sometimes the FX were rushed, but when you're doing the same ships week after week and these things have already been designed in...

 

[Disillusioned]

If you look at any picture of the miniature (here are some good ones) each of the hemisphere domes like the "eyes" on either side of the "head" is a disruptor, and indeed there are ten. (I'm working on doing a MSD for the D'Deridex but it's nowhere near ready yet.)

Where are the impulse engines on that bad boy? The only thing that looks like it might be could also look like aft cargo bays to me.

 

[JNG]

Mr. Probert has definitely said that he originally established the D'Deridex to have ten disruptors, none of them in the deflector.

Does anyone happen to have a picture of this? If I ever get around to the whole CGI thing something like that could be pretty useful.

If you look at any picture of the miniature (here are some good ones) each of the hemisphere domes like the "eyes" on either side of the "head" is a disruptor, and indeed there are ten. (I'm working on doing a MSD for the D'Deridex but it's nowhere near ready yet.)

Maybe this is appropriate to post right now:

This shows where the ten were supposed to be. But there are two more blisters on the lower connecting dorsal that look an awful lot like disruptors to me. Based on VFX, we can add three more: coming out of the nav deflector, and a pair on the inner upper connecting dorsal. I don't think we should dismiss those as errors, as those locations are sensible and there's nothing implausible about such a huge ship having this number of disruptor emplacements on it.

VFX also had torpedoes coming out of the nav deflector area.

 

[Praetor]

If you look at any picture of the miniature (here are some good ones) each of the hemisphere domes like the "eyes" on either side of the "head" is a disruptor, and indeed there are ten. (I'm working on doing a MSD for the D'Deridex but it's nowhere near ready yet.)

Where are the impulse engines on that bad boy? The only thing that looks like it might be could also look like aft cargo bays to me.

Mr. Probert said he would put them in the "tail," vertically stacked. Six, I believe.

Does anyone happen to have a picture of this? If I ever get around to the whole CGI thing something like that could be pretty useful.

If you look at any picture of the miniature (here are some good ones) each of the hemisphere domes like the "eyes" on either side of the "head" is a disruptor, and indeed there are ten. (I'm working on doing a MSD for the D'Deridex but it's nowhere near ready yet.)

Maybe this is appropriate to post right now:

This shows where the ten were supposed to be. But there are two more blisters on the lower connecting dorsal that look an awful lot like disruptors to me. Based on VFX, we can add three more: coming out of the nav deflector, and a pair on the inner upper connecting dorsal. I don't think we should dismiss those as errors, as those locations are sensible and there's nothing implausible about such a huge ship having this number of disruptor emplacements on it.

VFX also had torpedoes coming out of the nav deflector area.

Say, thanks. There are repeats of those blisters on the little superstructure behind the neck, too. The detailing seems slightly different than the other explicit disruptors (note here the semi-circle detail that only appears with them, and the fact that they are flat as opposed to domes) so I'm willing to pretend they're not disruptors for now.

And yeah, it is hard to ignore visual evidence of weapons. Why can't a deflector also have a disruptor in the center of it?

 

[Disillusioned]

Maybe this is appropriate to post right now:

Cool, thanks, that's the pic I remember from a while back but never saved for some reason. It's definitely going on my HD now.

Mr. Probert said he would put them in the "tail," vertically stacked. Six, I believe.

Ah, it's a pity they never put them on the model then, I always wondered how the thing moved around at impulse.

And yeah, it is hard to ignore visual evidence of weapons. Why can't a deflector also have a disruptor in the center of it?

Because it's a deflector?

 

[Praetor]

^Well played.