DS9's Tactical Situation pre-Season 4

[Tropical_Night]

By the end of the first episode it was arguably the most strategically important spot in the quadrant.

If I were Sisko my biggest worry would be that the Cardassians, realizing the area was not, in fact, worthless, would try to re-take it.
My next biggest worry would be that something akin to the Borg or worse might be lurking on the other side of that wormhole, if the Borg were lurking in the DQ then anything could be in the GQ. Then of course the writers saw the same thing and invented the dominion.

Yet all through season one, two and to an extent three, they make some major blunders:

1. They sent Runabouts out to explore what could be, for all they know, a very dangerous part of the galaxy. Why not send a few Galaxy class ships through? ye know the ones DESIGNED for 5 year + long range exploratory missions, instead of them being stuck in the usual TNG mode of being wasted on ferrying this or that ambassador to this or that conference.

2. There were no upgrades to the stations weapons for four years! until season 4 its only protected by a handful of torpedos and pretty paultry phasers.

3. There was rarely a powerful federation ship around, no regular patrols of the area or fleet protecting the sector until at least season 5.

4. They left a commander in charge of the most important outpost in the quadrant, at least promote the guy! (first black "captain" not being a captain would have got on my nerves a bit if I were Brooks...) I know, they got around to it...3 years later! I mention this one because in one of the books a Cardassian expresses surprise to Sisko that an Admiral is not in charge of such an important asset.


So my question is shouldn't the writers have had those season 4 upgrades in season 1? once they'd discovered the wormhole? Then they could still bring in the defiant etc later when the dominion threat came along.

 

[Photon]

By the end of the first episode it was arguably the most strategically important spot in the quadrant.

If I were Sisko my biggest worry would be that the Cardassians, realizing the area was not, in fact, worthless, would try to re-take it.
My next biggest worry would be that something akin to the Borg or worse might be lurking on the other side of that wormhole, if the Borg were lurking in the DQ then anything could be in the GQ. Then of course the writers saw the same thing and invented the dominion.

Yet all through season one, two and to an extent three, they make some major blunders:

1. They sent Runabouts out to explore what could be, for all they know, a very dangerous part of the galaxy. Why not send a few Galaxy class ships through? ye know the ones DESIGNED for 5 year + long range exploratory missions, instead of them being stuck in the usual TNG mode of being wasted on ferrying this or that ambassador to this or that conference.

2. There were no upgrades to the stations weapons for four years! until season 4 its only protected by a handful of torpedos and pretty paultry phasers.

3. There was rarely a powerful federation ship around, no regular patrols of the area or fleet protecting the sector until at least season 5.

4. They left a commander in charge of the most important outpost in the quadrant, at least promote the guy! (first black "captain" not being a captain would have got on my nerves a bit if I were Brooks...) I know, they got around to it...3 years later! I mention this one because in one of the books a Cardassian expresses surprise to Sisko that an Admiral is not in charge of such an important asset.


So my question is shouldn't the writers have had those season 4 upgrades in season 1? once they'd discovered the wormhole? Then they could still bring in the defiant etc later when the dominion threat came along.

I've asked this a few times in the past. Still dealing w/the Carddies and Miradorn it doesn't seem all that important to upgrade. The Warbird in Visionary should have shook them to the core.
Re Borg, I doubt if it would be let through the WH

 

[Jono]

1. They sent Runabouts out to explore what could be, for all they know, a very dangerous part of the galaxy. Why not send a few Galaxy class ships through? ye know the ones DESIGNED for 5 year + long range exploratory missions, instead of them being stuck in the usual TNG mode of being wasted on ferrying this or that ambassador to this or that conference.

Sisko only had runabouts assigned to the station, so that was all he could send. Plus we also know a number of Starfleet vessels went sent through as Garak mentioned them as missing and presumed destroyed by the Dominion. Wasn't the Odyssey at DS9 because it was helping the Bajoran colony in the GQ?

2. There were no upgrades to the stations weapons for four years! until season 4 its only protected by a handful of torpedos and pretty paultry phasers.

We know that the upgrades weren't completed until just prior to the start of season 4. Even before that simulations showed that the station could hold for two hours if it was attacked.

3. There was rarely a powerful federation ship around, no regular patrols of the area or fleet protecting the sector until at least season 5.

DS9 was meant to be on the edge.

4. They left a commander in charge of the most important outpost in the quadrant, at least promote the guy! (first black "captain" not being a captain would have got on my nerves a bit if I were Brooks...) I know, they got around to it...3 years later! I mention this one because in one of the books a Cardassian expresses surprise to Sisko that an Admiral is not in charge of such an important asset.

Originally the station was not all that important, apart from helping influence the Bajorans into joining the Federation so I guess Starfleet didn't want a captain.

As for why someone more senior was not sent once the wormhole was discovered, the answer is probably because Sisko became a religious figure to the Bajorans. Remember the goal of the mission was to get Bajor into the Federation and having their Emissary top Federation dog in the area would seemingly be beneficial to that end.

So my question is shouldn't the writers have had those season 4 upgrades in season 1? once they'd discovered the wormhole? Then they could still bring in the defiant etc later when the dominion threat came along.

One thing I forgot to mention is that O'Brien often complained about integrating Federation technology with the station's Cardassian systems. That would hamper their efforts to upgrade the station.

 

[Quinton O'Connor]

DS9's tactical situation pre-Season 4 was classified as 'without Worf'. Once Worf arrives somewhere, that location gains a +500% offensive and defensive bonus on all rolls.