Why did only one TOS movie have starships using phasers?

[Dream]

I was reading TWOK entry on memoryalpha when I saw this.

This is the only TOS movie in which a ship fires its phasers.

I think that's really weird. Did any of the behind the scenes crew that make the movies ever explain why TWOK was the only TOS movie we had starships firing phasers at each other? Was this a cost thing? Did you think they should have mixed up the weapons fire during all the starship battles?

 

[LeadHead]

They used Torpedoes in virtually every other movie. In some cases, I'm sure it was cost. If those movies were made now, there would be plenty of Phaser fire.

In some cases it was useful because torpedoes take time to reach their targets. In Trek V, it was useful for the "The Torpedo has been fired, we've gotta get outta here!" effect.

If effects were cheaper, they probably would have done some phasers firing blindly in Trek VI like the Ent-E did in Nemesis.

 

[DWF]

Phasers or disruptors would've given away Chang's postion on Star Trek VI and I think there were good story reasons for the use of photon torpedoes.

 

[Kirk1980]

And less story holes to explain why anyone could dodge phaser fire.

 

[Thelin]

I recall in TMP that Kirk ordered phaser fire, but Decker belays the order in favor for photon torpedoes instead. I forget the exact reason why, but I think it had to do with the Enterprise's refit.

 

[RoJoHen]

I recall in TMP that Kirk ordered phaser fire, but Decker belays the order in favor for photon torpedoes instead. I forget the exact reason why, but I think it had to do with the Enterprise's refit.

That was because the phasers would have been inoperative in that current situation since they were being routed through the warp drive...or something like that. I dunno. They were stuck in a wormhole, and everyone was talking very slooooooooooowly.

 

[BriGuy]

I recall in TMP that Kirk ordered phaser fire, but Decker belays the order in favor for photon torpedoes instead. I forget the exact reason why, but I think it had to do with the Enterprise's refit.

That was because the phasers would have been inoperative in that current situation since they were being routed through the warp drive...or something like that. I dunno. They were stuck in a wormhole, and everyone was talking very slooooooooooowly.

The new design of the ship increased phaser power by channeling it through the warp core. Power to the phasers was cut off because the engines were imbalanced. So they wouldn't have fired even if Chekov had tried to fire them.

 

[RoJoHen]

I recall in TMP that Kirk ordered phaser fire, but Decker belays the order in favor for photon torpedoes instead. I forget the exact reason why, but I think it had to do with the Enterprise's refit.

That was because the phasers would have been inoperative in that current situation since they were being routed through the warp drive...or something like that. I dunno. They were stuck in a wormhole, and everyone was talking very slooooooooooowly.

The new design of the ship increased phaser power by channeling it through the warp core. Power to the phasers was cut off because the engines were imbalanced. So they wouldn't have fired even if Chekov had tried to fire them.

Yep, that's what I said.