Isn't impulse power just a reflection of power generation levels? You can have an anti-matter engine without a warp engine after all. At most , they're using plasma to power internal systems and travel at sub light speeds?
Balance of Terror Observations
- Thread starter Dale Sams
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Isn't impulse power just a reflection of power generation levels? You can have an anti-matter engine without a warp engine after all. At most , they're using plasma to power internal systems and travel at sub light speeds?
You're right, of course.
But depending on what source book you're reading from the engines provide the power for all of the ship's systems, shields, movement, weapons, lights, what have you. Their power plant is not exotic to them.
But then Kirk says, "Meaning we can outrun them?" but the conversation is interrupted by Stiles so Scotty never gives us the clarification we still seem to want 50+ years later.
It also reminds me about "Journey to Babel" when the Orion ship has them stymied but Chekov reports their weapons are standard phasers and Kirk seems revealed that all of their capabilities are not beyond his.
Quotes are:
KIRK: Report on his weaponry, Mister Chekov.
CHEKOV: Sensors record standard phasers, sir.
KIRK: Standard phasers. Good. They may have more speed, but they're not giants.
But depending on what source book you're reading from the engines provide the power for all of the ship's systems, shields, movement, weapons, lights, what have you. Their power plant is not exotic to them.
But then Kirk says, "Meaning we can outrun them?" but the conversation is interrupted by Stiles so Scotty never gives us the clarification we still seem to want 50+ years later.
It also reminds me about "Journey to Babel" when the Orion ship has them stymied but Chekov reports their weapons are standard phasers and Kirk seems revealed that all of their capabilities are not beyond his.
Quotes are:
KIRK: Report on his weaponry, Mister Chekov.
CHEKOV: Sensors record standard phasers, sir.
KIRK: Standard phasers. Good. They may have more speed, but they're not giants.
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If Elaan of Troyus is anything to go by, a warp powered ship can make mincemeat of ship that only has impulse power to power its shields.
Do we know that the Bird of Prey had shields?
Not really.
If she didn't have at least rudimentary shields she'd run the risk of blowing herself up in the backwash of her victims!
If you're referring to the "twin planets" sidebar, it's worth noting that that term doesn't even occur in the final episode, AFAIK and in case that hasn't been mentioned already.
Strictly in my opinion, but to reconcile all the inconsistencies in Star Trek:
Impulse is
1) The main means of propelling a ship at STL speeds.
2) Capable of augmenting the power and speed of the warp engines (The Corbomite Manuever, Conspiracy)
3) Capable of providing low FTL
No, it's an actual shock wave. In 2016, scientists observed a shockwave emanating from an exploding star.
Cool, although I don't think the description of an observable shockwave disturbing interstellar gas is inconsistent with what Christopher described. The reverse shockwave would have greater force I suppose since that affects the star's dense atmosphere. The description of the Star expelling heavy elements and high energy particles throughout space is what Christopher described I think. We're just imputing our own bias onto what we perceive a shockwave to be.
The faster than light visible high energy shockwave of STVI and Hobus in NuTrek were a bit of nonsense.
The faster than light visible high energy shockwave of STVI and Hobus in NuTrek were a bit of nonsense.
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A prop is something that the actors interact with. The map is just a piece of graphic art.
Note that a "faster than light shockwave" was also used in the Star Wars novel "Death Star" to explain how a massive explosion could destroy an entire planet in just a second or so. Because from what we know currently of physics, an explosion that blew apart a planet would in fact take HOURS to do so.
Far beyond the attention span of a modern audience! Pew pew boom!
Well if the "outrun" statement is a direct reference to the "simple impulse" statement, then impulse refers to the speed of the Romulan ship. So warp > impulse.
I always assumed that the Romulan ship was close enough to the Romulan homeworld that even using impulse, they'd get home reasonably quickly.
Or, the Romulan ship is constrained to sublight impulse power while cloaked, but with its cloak off it can warp home, albeit not fast enough to outrun a Federation starship.
Perhaps, but Scotty's proclamation seemed to pertain to a general report about the ship, not its disadvantages while cloaked. But who knows.
I agree that the dialog reads that way.
Which would fit perfectly with the WW2 U-boat parallel that inspired the episode: Kind of slow diesel engines on the surface, really slow battery-electric drive submerged.
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