Game over: the doublefist

[XCV330]

Knife-hand would seem way simpler than grappling, though.

I've heard discussions on that that boiled down to hand-to-hand being superfluous and basically something to train on, anymore. Funny thing is, I think if there ever WAS a space force, they probably would have to learn a mix of grappling and strikes that didn't require planting your feet.

 

[Timo]

One might also assume that blows would become utterly futile in environments where everybody always wears extensive protective clothing, though.

Even today, a flak jacket and helmet combo makes it extremely unlikely for any sort of a blow to ever connect - one'd have to bring the impact in directly from the front and right at the face, which is a challenge even for a pro boxer.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

One might also assume that blows would become utterly futile in environments where everybody always wears extensive protective clothing, though.

Even today, a flak jacket and helmet combo makes it extremely unlikely for any sort of a blow to ever connect - one'd have to bring the impact in directly from the front and right at the face, which is a challenge even for a pro boxer.

Timo Saloniemi

Then there's the fact that crazy single user, 1 vs many weapons can be made in the Star Trek Universe.

Imagine a Disrupter / Phaser blade with (infinite reach/continuous beam emission) swung around like a light/beam saber. Not having to worry about clanging with other things, 1 person can easily hold off a bunch of other people in close range combat depending on which setting they use so as to not quickly empty out the battery.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

Imagine a Disrupter / Phaser blade with (infinite reach/continuous beam emission) swung around like a light/beam saber. Not having to worry about clanging with other things, 1 person can easily hold off a bunch of other people in close range combat depending on which setting they use so as to not quickly empty out the battery.

"Wide beam" was always an option on standard phasers in the TNG/VOY era, immobilizing several opponents with 1 shot, but it was rarely used (probably because it seemed like a cheap way to mow down a gang of dangerous foes - from a plot perspective).

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

"Wide beam" was always an option on standard phasers in the TNG/VOY era, immobilizing several opponents with 1 shot, but it was rarely used (probably because it seemed like a cheap way to mow down a gang of dangerous foes - from a plot perspective).

But Wide Beam usually consumes an inordinate amount of energy per use compared to continuous beam or even firing bolts of energy, because of Inverse-Square law, and it makes it harder to work in teams in CQB since you're firing at a wide area and risk hitting an ally in Close Quarters if you're not careful and have proper Situational Awareness of where your allies are relative to your firing direction and width of the cone.

e.g. of Inverse-Square for Wide Conical Beam
If you double the distance but keep the intensity the same at max distance you'd have to square your energy costs for that Wide Conical Beam of continuous energy
If you triple the distance and want to keep the same intensity at max distance, you'd have to cube the energy cost for that Wide Conical Beam of continuous energy.

There's probably a very good energy efficiency reason why Bolts are the most energy efficient way of projecting Directed Energy, with Beams being efficient only if you have a perfect accuracy on the target and want to continuously do damage over time.

With firing energy bolts, if you miss, you don't drain nearly the amount of energy as you would a continuous beam or even a long streak of energy.

Energy Bolts can obviously be tuned in power as needed.

So lets say you want to stun a crowd at low energy cost, turn on stun, and full auto, and spray into a crowd.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Maybe full arc beam is too energy intensive but what about just widening it a little?

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Maybe full arc beam is too energy intensive but what about just widening it a little?

Define little, and up to what distance?

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Define little, and up to what distance?

Like, wide enough to have the spread of a shot gun.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

Like, wide enough to have the spread of a shot gun.

The Shotgun spread IRL is based on what choke, what type of shot pattern and at what distance.

Shot Cup & Wad also helps define when the shot actually spreads

It's not as simple as a video game.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

The Shotgun spread IRL is based on what choke, what type of shot pattern and at what distance.

Shot Cup & Wad also helps define when the shot actually spreads

It's not as simple as a video game.

No, it’s as simple as Federation tacticians researching the optimal spread angle at ever distance to optimize outcome.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

No, it’s as simple as Federation tacticians researching the optimal spread angle at ever distance to optimize outcome.

Then it would be a dynamic algorthim that bases it's spread dynamically on the number of targets within it's targeting sensors.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

But Wide Beam usually consumes an inordinate amount of energy per use compared to continuous beam or even firing bolts of energy, because of Inverse-Square law, and it makes it harder to work in teams in CQB since you're firing at a wide area and risk hitting an ally in Close Quarters if you're not careful and have proper Situational Awareness of where you're allies are relative to your firing direction and width of the cone.

e.g. of Inverse-Square for Wide Conical Beam
If you double the distance but keep the intensity the same at max distance you'd have to square your energy costs for that Wide Conical Beam of continuous energy
If you triple the distance and want to keep the same intensity at max distance, you'd have to cube the energy cost for that Wide Conical Beam of continuous energy.

There's probably a very good energy efficiency reason why Bolts are the most energy efficient way of projecting Directed Energy, with Beams being efficient only if you have a perfect accuracy on the target and want to continuously do damage over time.

With firing energy bolts, if you miss, you don't drain nearly the amount of energy as you would a continuous beam or even a long streak of energy.

Energy Bolts can obviously be tuned in power as needed.

So lets say you want to stun a crowd at low energy cost, turn on stun, and full auto, and spray into a crowd.

And that's why you're master of Trek Tech, and I am not.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

And that's why you're master of Trek Tech, and I am not.

I just care for some semblence of technical reality in my Star Trek Universe Lore & Tech =D

 

[Henoch]

"Wide beam" was always an option on standard phasers in the TNG/VOY era, immobilizing several opponents with 1 shot, but it was rarely used (probably because it seemed like a cheap way to mow down a gang of dangerous foes - from a plot perspective).

TOS used wide beam stunning in The Return of the Archons (two phaser ones, two shots, eight people dropped ):

(The people pick up weapons from the debris in the street.)
KIRK: Phasers on stun. Which way, Reger?
REGER: Perhaps through there, but Landru
KIRK: We'll handle Landru, Just get us out of this.
(They get trapped in an alley)
KIRK: I don't want to hurt them. Warn them back.
REGER: They're in the Body. It's Landru.
KIRK: Phasers on stun, wide field. Fire.
(They drop the first wave, but more come.)
KIRK: Fire.