• Infynis@midwest.social
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    1 year ago

    Sorry Data, but Geordi's right. The Tractor Beam literally never works. We need to start giving new ships grapplers like the NX-01

    • danwardvs@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      I know it’s for the plot but yeah, when xyz doesn’t work because of “atmospheric interference” or whatnot they could fall back onto more primitive technologies. Tractor beam not working? Use a grappler. Phasers not working? Bring down a gunpowder firearm.

      • aeronmelon@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Phasers don't work?

        "PORT SIDE CANNONS, FIRE!!"

        (Can you imagine what a broadside attack from a Galaxy-class starship would look like?)

      • dejected_warp_core@startrek.website
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        1 year ago

        Forget gunpowder though. With tech like tractor beams, inertial dampeners, and gravity plating, you'd think The Federation would have more armaments in the way of mass drivers, rail guns, and other physics based attacks. Heck, even an chaotic orbiting swarm of meteorites would do a lot to disperse phaser fire.

        I was so happy to see this thinking in action during the last season of Picard.

        • JWBananas@startrek.website
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          1 year ago

          I, for one, look forward to seeing more asteroids flung at jackasses with tractor beams in the future.

          Riker and the tractor beam at the nebula. Riker, his aim true.

          • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Yeah, it's mentioned fairly casually that the Enterprise D would be able to destroy an entire continent fairly trivially from orbit

            Weapons and shields in star trek are crazy powerful

    • marcos@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I recall those working once on Enterprise, but I can't remember the context… maybe I'm misremembering and it never worked?

        • marcos@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Yeah, my comment was about the grappling hooks. They weren't very reliable either.

          I'm sure the tractor bean on TNG worked way more often. And I don't remember what they had on TOS.

          • Crismus@lemmynsfw.com
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            1 year ago

            Once they grappled onto a ship's nacelles and disabled them using brute force.

            Physical attacks can work pretty good sometimes.