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Hmm. I recall a more rapid fire used during the EVA, but I always had the impression it was just quick semi-auto pulls, not genuine full auto.

What's the difference between automatic phasers and traditional phasers that fire one constant pulse? Wouldn't an automatic phaser just be a phaser that doesn't shoot constantly, i.e. less? If so, why is that so much better?

Less drain on the power pack to just fire in pulses than a big continuous beam.

Tyyr wrote:Hmm. I recall a more rapid fire used during the EVA, but I always had the impression it was just quick semi-auto pulls, not genuine full auto.

*shrug* Perhaps so. I've not seen FC in a long time.

A couple of reasons.

1) It looks cooler, yeah I'll say it.
2) When dealing with something like this you're typically better off discharging as much energy as you can in as short a time as you can. For instance the sparkers in the boilers I over see. If the sparkers can continuously they could create a spark with about 1,000 watts. Not enough to ignite the coal stream. However by dramatically shortening the pulse, going to a single quick burst as opposed to a long drawn out discharge the discharge power is in the 2 megawatt range. That kind of spark will ignite the coal. Applied to phasers, if you can discharge enough energy to kill someone in a quick burst (ala FC phaser rifles) you're better off doing that then drawing the energy out into a long stream. Higher power = more damage. For instance, touch a 50 or 60 watt light bulb. Hot but no permanent damage. Now go touch 500 or 1000W light, you leave skin behind. Drawing energy out over a longer time only makes it easier dissipate and resist. Shorter time = higher power = more damage for a given quantity of energy.

Rochey wrote:The Borg don't use guns...

*ahem* TNG: Descent *cough*

They weren't part of the Collective, though.

Rochey wrote:They weren't part of the Collective, though.

Fine, the episode where 7's sphere crashed. She used some sort of particle weapon to stun the other drones.

Was she a part of the Collective at that point?

She was part of the collective, they had just been temporarily disconnected(due to the crash).

And thus not part of the Collective at that point.

Huh, I can see that. Ok.

Rochey wrote:And thus not part of the Collective at that point.

no but they didn't aquire any new technology after their seperation, so it appears the gun was with her when she was part of the collective

Or something taken from an alien race for study.

I believe it was part of her arm.

IIRC, there wasn't any sentiant (or sapient) life on the planet