That’s genius!
What are your controversial Star Trek opinions?
- Thread starter Amasov
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That’s genius!
Yes, in some tribes.
For Person to Person combat using "Small Arms", I prefer Bolts over beams.
You see in TNG how a person has to stand still for so freaking long while a regular person with bolts will Fire, then (Move / Scoot / Hide) behind cover.
In a Fire-Fight, regardless of which projectile weapon you use, you generally don't want to expose your body anymore than you have to, using Beams inherently puts yourself at risk because you need to hold your weapon at a reasonably stable position or else you'd miss. With a Bolt, it's literally "Shoot & Scoot or Hide & maybe move" depending on your situation.
Logically it makes more sense for Organic BiPaBs {Bi-(Pedal & Brachial)oids} to use Bolt based Small Arms when in combat against others. You aren't of any use to your team / mission / goal if you're wounded, incapacitated, or dead.
So minimizing exposure is critical to survival and accomplishing the mission.
Solid Beams makes perfect sense for "Auto Turrets", "Droids", "Weapons Mounted on Vehicles", "StarFighters / Shuttles / StarShips", Weapons Emplaced in a facility.
There's a time & place for everything, but using Beams as your primary form of combat for a Organic Bi-PaB ain't it. I'm glad that Star Trek has rectified that issue moving forward.
Also, it's far easier on VFX to draw a bolt than to draw beams over a large fire fight.
Far less work over all.
Also always had the impression the original BSG had to be watchable for children (family friendly) as well, so it couldn't get too dark. The 2004 BSG less so, that seemed more targeted at adults.
Too bad they've never shown something like an adjustable caliper or zoom lens vs. wide-angle to make the same sidearm shoot both? I'd never thought about it before, but that makes so much sense that person-to-person you don't want to stand there in place because you hit something with the beam, yet everyone else is shooting around you! Klingons, Romulans, others, I'm pretty sure if there were sidearms out there someone is getting zapped. But Starlet did give them a bit more of a Swiss Army knife purpose as we also saw the beam versions burrowing through rock, cutting apart bulkheads, do a Changeling sweep of a room. Too bad there wasn't a simple explanation and a way for the guns to do both?
I mean, phasers have always been shown inconsistently. Just look at the different ways they are portrayed from TOS to the different TOS films. My favorite one is Kirk shooting a Klingon and the sheer amount of kinetic energy that flings a Klingon across the field.
But, then you have instances on TOS and VOY (at least. Other examples are no doubt are around) were wide angle stun gets used without issue.
But, then you have instances on TOS and VOY (at least. Other examples are no doubt are around) were wide angle stun gets used without issue.
StarFleet literally has Compression Phaser Rifles that fires bolts in the TNG era.
In the late 24th / early 25th century, most of StarFleet's Phaser Pistols have swapped to Bolt as the default mode.
In DISCO, Beam mode is a "Alternate Mode" and not a primary mode, default is firing bolts.
The MACO's literally have pop up Optics with Electronic Zoom.
So they do have that tech.
And the "Lego Phaser Rifle" has Pop Up AR (Augmented Reality) like Optics that probably overlays information on the screen.
Personally, I want to bring back the Rotary Dial Emitters of the 23rd century and have that control the output energy pattern.
That would allow Quick & Reliable changes to output Beam Pattern with specialized Emitters optimized for that type of output.
Be it:
- Beam mode
- Bolt mode
- Conical Area mode
- Bird/Buck Shot mode
- Wide Fan Spread mode
- etc.
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They look more dynamic, since there's actually movement across the screen, not just a glowy line.
They think it looks better?
It's easier to animate?
Power conservation?
It's not as confusing?
It's faster?
They hate Star Trek?
Maybe the reason is as simple as the producers having a dream one night of a leprechaun dancing on a pot of gold telling them (singing to them, really, like it was a sea shanty) that this was what they needed to do... and if they didn't, they would be punished by spending 100 years nonstop doing the Macarena, churning a cauldron of butter, being tickled by feathers until blood pours out of their ears, or a combination of all of the above if the leprechaun deemed necessary. All while a group of clowns (shudders) are cheering during the entire time.
You know, a simple reason like that.
You know, a simple reason like that.
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Probably it doesn’t matter.
If you watch an episode and what stands out to you is beams vs. bolts then I’d say whatever is happening in the scripting department has failed.
They are all just laser guns to me.
If you watch an episode and what stands out to you is beams vs. bolts then I’d say whatever is happening in the scripting department has failed.
They are all just laser guns to me.
They're all just space suits. They're all just actors in silly alien makeup. They're just a bunch of sets.
We can put Geroge Takei and Wil Wheaton on bar stools in overalls. The SCRIPT will carry us through.
I tend to agree, though I will admit that rewatching some highlights of various Trek phaser effects the "bolt" effect is still somewhat new, and the beam is considered "classic Trek."
So it's possible that this is the whole "comfort food" and you don't mess with comfort food of Trek.
Well, yes.
And yet no at the same time.
The setting and premise are integral to the show. I watch for those, as well as for characters and plot. Beams vs pew pew is definitely lower on my list of Shit to Ponder, but having either/both is part of the worldbuilding.
I want to know why everyone doesn’t use those cool Ferengi Whips?
Imagine Picard or Pike using one of those.
It would be awesome.
Riker may very well have used the Ferengi whip in his... spare time.
(Riker and Troi both in leather outfits, with Riker tied up and Troi brandishing the Ferengi whip...)
<A sleepy afternoon on the Bridge. Suddenly an alarm goes off>
<Computer voice> Warning. An energy discharge with a Ferengi signature has been detected on deck 8, room 0912.
<Picard> Room 0912? Computer, who or what's in that room?
<Computer voice> Commander Will Riker and Lt. Commander Deanna Troi.
<Picard (annoyed)> Picard to Riker and Troi. If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times: If you absolutely must play your dirty little games, fine, but PLEASE SWITCH TO PRIVACY MODE FIRST!
<Voices of Riker and Troi> d*mn.
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