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From: sma8465@ritcv.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Phasers, Disruptors and Photon Torpedoes
Message-ID: <9041@ritcv.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 14-Nov-85 15:33:08 EST
Article-I.D.: ritcv.9041
Posted: Thu Nov 14 15:33:08 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 17-Nov-85 05:50:27 EST
References: <1359@decwrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: sma8465@ritcv.UUCP (PUT YOUR NAME HERE)
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
Lines: 39
Keywords: phasers disruptors


*******COMPLIMENTARY LINE TO BE MUNCHED*********

     Being a Star Trek fan (why else would I be in this group?) and
     a player of Star Fleet Battles (a simulation game using the 
     concepts for set down in Star Trek), I hope I can help clear
     up this phaser/disruptor problem.

     Avid fans of the series may have noted that there was never
     an episode in which the Klingons used photon torpedoes.  I
     believe the theory behind this (which is the one supported
     by the SFB game) is that the Federation has photon torps
     and the Klingons have disruptors.  Both sides have phasers.
     
     The theory is that phasers do not require as much power to
     fire as torpedoes or disruptors do, so both sides blast away
     with their phasers while they charge up their respective heavy
     weapons.  Since they are different cultures (hence different
     fields of research) they came up with different heavy weapons.

     Now I know that there are people out there who are saying to
     themselves (or others) that the animated episodes, the books,
     and the movies (at least the first two) show the klingons
     (or klingon ships) using photon torpedoes.  I'll fall back on 
     the military spying explantion of stealing weapons secrets
     (and the ground that the question was about the series).

     About the "sonic disruptor" hand weapon, I would speculate that
     when the device works by on a different principle but they
     (the writers) chose a name the viewers were familiar with and
     could understand.

     These are my ideas and I welcome any discussions.  (However,
     send any flames to /dev/null. Those I don't need.)

     Stephen Abbott

     "You may be ready for the world,
      But is the world ready for you?"