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Balance of Terror Observations

Didn't read entire thread yet but gonna because this episode didn't make sense entirely to me but, 3) the Romulans to me were Vulcans who weren't telepathic and left probably in fear of those that were and later became an evil empire of colonies. I actually think Sarak, who started the Romulan wars, and the Romulan Commander were twins, one being telepathic, one not. Spock of course was originally a double agent.
 
I actually think Sarak, who started the Romulan wars, and the Romulan Commander were twins, one being telepathic, one not.

Sarek wasn't even born until 4 years after the Earth-Romulan War ended. Also, the Romulans left Vulcan nearly 2000 years earlier.
 
If a science fiction writer names two planets Romulus and Remus, the intent is most likely that they're a binary planet
No. The most likely assumption is simply that they are both habitable terrestrial planets in the same star system that more closely resemble each other than is usual in-universe for those cases when star systems have more than one habitable terrestrial planet. If the intent is that they are a binary planet, why aren't they referred to as one?
 
It’s a hand-rendered map.
View attachment 4937

That’s not what he’s saying is nonsense.

Although what’s interesting is that based on what that map shows, it almost looks like “Romulus” is the star and “RomII” is the second (or only) planet from that star. Hence, “Romulan Star” Empire. So is Rom II (or Romii) supposed to be the Romulans’ home planet?
 
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Sigh.

Once again, an ill-advised attempt at humor fell flat and likely another cat has died. Carry on.
 
...Is there a way to retain both the apparent original intent of a single-star empire and the later asserting of a multi-star empire, while accepting that the RNZ is a constant rather than a variable?

The map is easily dealt with: it makes sense that the most important Romulan star would be right next to the border, this being how far the Earthlings pushed before stopping short of annihilating the Romulans. The bulk of the empire would lie on the side of Romulus that was never a battlefield.

But the RNZ must hem in the Romulans from the backside, too, to truly isolate them from the rest of the galaxy as stated. Of course, this need not be effectual in practice, any more than the division of Earth between Spain and Portugal was. Earth need not even know the true intent of the RSE in order to dictate a line in space (and then leave it mostly unguarded because only a direct frontal attack through the near part of the RNZ needs to be blocked, and any lesser Romulan presence outside the abstract line is automatically grounds for shooting them out of the sky, without need to mind or prove they broke through the line).

Nothing much about the original episode need be contradicted in the later ground-truth of a multi-star RSE, if we rationalize the issues of speeds and travel times and cometary encounters and whatnot to the fight taking place in a tiny but significant corner of the vast RSE.

Timo Saloniemi
 
Although what’s interesting is that based on what that map shows, it almost looks like “Romulus” is the star and “RomII” is the second planet from that star.

What??? It doesn't look even remotely like that. A map of a planetary system looks like the examples shown here, a series of orbital rings around a central star. Since planets don't hover in place but circle the star in their orbits, the only meaningful way to diagram a planetary system is by showing the orbits, the paths they follow over time. The Neutral Zone map is clearly drawn in the style of a star map, a diagram of different star systems, like this one or this one. It's showing a boundary between two interstellar territories, each containing multiple stars.

Besides, as I've already said, if the map were on that kind of a scale that would let you discern individual planets, then the Neutral Zone would have to pass through the Romulan star system, and that makes no sense. Obviously Romii is meant to be a separate star altogether. Even if it were a binary companion as the Concordance claimed, then assuming the map is to scale, that would probably put the Neutral Zone much less than a light-year from Romulus. It's presumably just a neighboring star several light-years away, like Alpha Centauri to Sol.


Hence, Romulan “Star” Empire.

I doubt anybody would use "Star Empire" to mean an empire encompassing the planets of a single star, any more than they'd use "starship" for a strictly interplanetary vessel. It would just be an interplanetary empire. The term "Star Empire" implies an empire that encompasses multiple star systems.
 
One of those I picked up some things i never realized before.

1) Tomlinson: "Well until then (His marriage) I'm still your boss."

I think I once thought that meant they'd have to be put in different departments when married, but now think it's a sly joke that she'll be his "boss" cause they're married.

In 1967 standards, it would be so she would (in all likelihood) stay home and raise the babies while daddy worked (which rules out other tangential issues)

In 2018, stay at home dads are not uncommon. Ditto for latch key kids and every other combination out there.

2. I guess I never realized that because of the limited range of the plasma torpedo, Kirk seems to be staying at that range and firing from that range. That's why the Romulans can't simply decloak and fire once the Enterprise is nuked. Also, not only does the Romulan Commander not want to finish off such a noble opponent...he (correctly) thinks Kirk is playing dead.

And at close enough range the torpedo detonating would probably cause shock waves crippling the sender's own ship.

3. Spock talking about Vulcans savage colonization period makes Romulus sound like a lost colony....not a group of Vulcans who left due to a schism. I guess they could be both.

There are confirmed "same fore-bearers" stated in episodes (e.g. "Enterprise Incident", "Unification", etc) so the Romulus/Remus being a relic from that era makes a ton of sense.

4. I don't know who got the bidding for Phaser control safety protocals (no masks??) and circuit design (They burnt out before being hit and nuked) but they need to be sued.

Yeah, starships just don't have circuit breaker boxes. One phaser shot hitting the hull next to the galley where the ice cream dispenser is hanging on the wall and 15 consoles on the bridge blow up in a dazzling and pretty array of fireworks. :\ Because... drama!!!!1!!!!!11!!!!!!11111111!!!!2
 
And at close enough range the torpedo detonating would probably cause shock waves crippling the sender's own ship.

Contrary to how TV and movies tend to portray things, explosions in space wouldn't have shock waves. Space is a vacuum, so there's no medium to transmit a shock wave (except the very diffuse interstellar medium, which is too thin to matter on this scale). The thermal effects of an explosion in vacuum would also be much less because there's no atmosphere to superheat. The main hazard would be from the radiation.
 
What??? It doesn't look even remotely like that. A map of a planetary system looks like the examples shown here, a series of orbital rings around a central star. Since planets don't hover in place but circle the star in their orbits, the only meaningful way to diagram a planetary system is by showing the orbits, the paths they follow over time. The Neutral Zone map is clearly drawn in the style of a star map, a diagram of different star systems, like this one or this one. It's showing a boundary between two interstellar territories, each containing multiple stars.

Besides, as I've already said, if the map were on that kind of a scale that would let you discern individual planets, then the Neutral Zone would have to pass through the Romulan star system, and that makes no sense. Obviously Romii is meant to be a separate star altogether. Even if it were a binary companion as the Concordance claimed, then assuming the map is to scale, that would probably put the Neutral Zone much less than a light-year from Romulus. It's presumably just a neighboring star several light-years away, like Alpha Centauri to Sol.




I doubt anybody would use "Star Empire" to mean an empire encompassing the planets of a single star, any more than they'd use "starship" for a strictly interplanetary vessel. It would just be an interplanetary empire. The term "Star Empire" implies an empire that encompasses multiple star systems.

I wasn’t assuming that that map was meant to represent the entire star system. Just the parent star (Romulus) and the Romulan homeworld (Romii). It’s called artistic license. Although I did realize since my last post that it’s probably not RomII (2) because the earth outpost 1 clearly shows a numeral 1, so therefore if it was the second planet it would have been “Rom2,” not “RomII.” So that planet’s name seems to be Romii, and for all we know it’s the only planet orbiting the “Romulus” star.
 
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If a science fiction writer names two planets Romulus and Remus, the intent is most likely that they're a binary planet -- not a planet and moon, but twin worlds orbiting a common center of mass.

Technically, all orbiting bodies orbit around a common center of mass. The Earth and Moon orbit a common center of mass (barycenter) that is located within the Earth, approximately 2900 miles from the Earth's center. It's also true for the Earth and the Sun. That's how planets cause a wobble in their stars and provides us with one of several methods to detect exoplanets indirectly.
 
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Contrary to how TV and movies tend to portray things, explosions in space wouldn't have shock waves. Space is a vacuum, so there's no medium to transmit a shock wave (except the very diffuse interstellar medium, which is too thin to matter on this scale). The thermal effects of an explosion in vacuum would also be much less because there's no atmosphere to superheat. The main hazard would be from the radiation.
Um no. Take a look at supernovas. Those are explosions that cause plenty of damage and have huge shock waves.
 
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