Refit Enterprise Defensive Systems

[Vger23]

So, I was watching TMP last week, and something really stuck out this time. The number of discrete defensive systems referenced in the various scenes is pretty considerable. Through the course of the film, we hear the following terminology:

Deflectors
Screens
Shields
Force Fields

TOS had different systems referenced at times as well. By the time TWOK rolls out, however, we are generally just talking about "shields."

Now, you could say that these are all referring to the same system, but the dialogue absolutely doesn't support that. Decker recommends "Screens and shields" at one point. Chekov yells about "forcefields and deflectors" both being up on full. Scotty says that the ship "Cannot maintain full power on forcefields" and then immediately after says "Deflector power is down 70%"

All this seems to indicate different systems that work together to protect the ship.

Thoughts?

 

[Pauln6]

Yeah I got the impression that deflector screens (pressors powered by the deflector dish?) and shields / forcefields (an energy barrier or possibly distortion layer in the warp field to disperse energy?) were separate defence mechanisms.

 

[Maurice]

Kirk talks to Scotty about forcefields and he replies "our shields cannot handle another attack". He also says "We cannot hold full power on forcefields. Deflector power is down seventy percent." Decker says, "Recommend defensive posture, captain. Screens and shields." So I'd say that forcefield=shields and deflectors=screens. It'd have been better had they been consistent on those points.

 

[Pauln6]

Kirk talks to Scotty about forcefields and he replies "our shields cannot handle another attack". He also says "We cannot hold full power on forcefields. Deflector power is down seventy percent." Decker says, "Recommend defensive posture, captain. Screens and shields." So I'd say that forcefield=shields and deflectors=screens. It'd have been better had they been consistent on those points.

From the ship plans, would it be true to say there is only one deflector generator and multiple shield generators?

 

[Maurice]

I don't know from ship plans.

 

[MacLeod]

What would we have to talk about if they maintained consistent terminology use?

Now it is possible that at this point there is two separate systems one that handles energy and one that handles kinetics.

But it's more likely sloppy writing.