Starship Enterprise vs. Battlestar Galactica

[Marc]

I don't think it's much of a stretch than Starfleet torpedoes have similar capabilities.

This ability has been mentioned but can't remember exactly where - might have been the TNG Technical manual.

 

[Psion]

I completely agree that the special effects don't ncessarily reflect the above figures, but even the relatively modest capabilities of the modern nuke are varible in yield (3 to 100% on average) I don't think it's much of a stretch than Starfleet torpedoes have similar capabilities.

Given the way the stories are told, I'm positive the writers* think of photon torpedoes as relatively low-yield weapons. We've seen them detonated against ground based targets with destruction equivalent to conventional explosives. In Wrath of Khan, a photon torpedo did little more than blow off the Reliant's rollbar-launcher. I agree they should be variable yield, just as you say, but I don't think that's been mentioned anywhere outside of, as Marc said, the TNG Tech Manual.

*I'm speculating here, but I suspect Trek writers from the eighties-on have an ideological aversion to nuclear weapons and a realistic depiction of a photon torpedo going off, especially in an atmosphere, would probably be indistinguishable from a nuclear explosion to the naked eye. This is one area The Expanse has gotten right in space combat ... when you want to make sure you put the other ship down, you start throwing nukes around with the gleeful disregard of a deranged six year-old spreading birdseed.

 

[publiusr]

Let me change the original question a bit.

Draconia vs TOS Enterprise.