NX-01 : Should it have gotten shields in Season 1

[AstroSmurf]

I have been hanging back thoughtfully reading the posts here. So far everyone has a good idea as to what the ship should and shouldn't have. However, I would like to toss in a thought I had a couple of years ago.

This show, for the most part, was to be about the founding of the Federation. Politically it makes sense for the founding worlds to come together to fight a big bad evil but what would keep them together afterwards? What would keep them from going back to squabbling amongst themselves? In my opinion, it would take something that would put each of these races on the same footing and make the benefits far better than going at it alone. My first thought: sharing technology and resources. Not only would it open up trade and commerce but it would also help solidify the Federation as a power. So instead of the NX-01 going out with all of this technology, I think it would have been better to have her be rather rudimentary but with one big piece of pie to offer later to the other founding Federation worlds. (My choice would be the transporter.) And as the Romulan threat became more significant, you could have the Vulcans provide everyone shields, the Andorians phaser technology and the Tellerites could bring photon torpedoes.

So to answer the OP's original question, no shields. The NX-01 was too advanced as it was. I don't even think she should have had turbolifts. Can you just imagine the crew climbing up down all of those ladders and tiny stairways?

 

[Cyclopean]

Nebusj said:
But probably all the important answers are given succinctly in Dr Emmanual M Roth's 1966 paper Rapid (Explosive) Decompression Emergencies In Pressure-Suited Subjects, which is available on the web at http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19690004637_1969004637.pdf

That is an awesome document. Thanks for the link.

 

[JoeZhang]

syc said:
Not having shields and having "Polarized Hull Plating" is what made Enterprise... Enterprise! Shields would've diminished the initial feel to the series IMO. Shields later on would've been an ok addition, like during the Xindi Arc or even in Season 4. Would've much rather seen an episode about Energy Shielding being installed and used then "Daedalus" or "Observer Effect".

But what difference does it really make? whatever you call the technobabble - it's still just someone sitting in a chair on a bridge looking at a viewscreen, warping off to other planets and firing rayguns at people.

The lack or appearance of technology X is a red herring because whatever the series it all serves the same purpose.