Borg Weapon Adapting

[Captain Seafort]

Sweet we're getting somewhere. So they have the shield tech but don't use it on their droids.

Why?

I would think because it is not needed most the time and when they find they do need it it takes a refit of droids.

I can't think of any other reason why they wouldn't use the tech they obviously have. Maybe it can't be crafted into personal units but I find that hard to believe.

Why is it so hard to believe? It's possible, or even likely, that the equipment is simply too bulky - compare WW2 era radio equipment to a modern mobile phone for example. Given that the Borg gain technology through theft, if the species they encounter haven't developed miniaturised shield tech, the Borg won't have it.

[Teaos]

Granted it is build into the walls but it doesnt appear to be overly large. The fact that these systems are all over the place would again imply that it is not overly bulky. But I suppose it could be a bit to large to be practical for personal use but I do find that hard to believe.

[Captain Seafort]

Granted it is build into the walls but it doesnt appear to be overly large. The fact that these systems are all over the place would again imply that it is not overly bulky. But I suppose it could be a bit to large to be practical for personal use but I do find that hard to believe.

The emitters may not be too big, but the equipment behind the emitters could be huge. They're all over the place, but a 28 cubic kilometre ship has a lot more space available than a 1/5th cubic metre drone.

I also repeat that there is no evidence anywhere in the canon of Borg KE shields.

[Mikey]

"Worf was able to rig up a shield [out of a communicator and a bunch of 19th-century odds and ends!] therefore the Borg must be able to make one"

That bit was my argument, so punish me for it. And I never said that the Borg must be able to make one - in fact, I agreed that the Borg DO NOT seem to have a defense against kinetec a/o ballistic attacks. I just mentioned how odd I thought it was, given the overwhelming probability that the Borg had encountered species using such attacks many times.

The only thing I can think of, and its a stretch, is that the Borg have never assimilated a race at that particular level of tech who had also developed an energy-based defense against such. After all, look where we are - we primarly use kinetic-based weaponry (with the first advent of non-lethatl microwave weaponry in the prototype stages) yet we have no "force fields" or such which are proof against them. And once we progress to using directed energy weapons, defenses against kinetic attacks will surely fall out of common usage.

[Captain Seafort]

That bit was my argument, so punish me for it. And I never said that the Borg must be able to make one - in fact, I agreed that the Borg DO NOT seem to have a defense against kinetec a/o ballistic attacks. I just mentioned how odd I thought it was, given the overwhelming probability that the Borg had encountered species using such attacks many times.

Understood, thanks for the clarification. My apologies to you and Teaos for conflating your arguments.

The only thing I can think of, and its a stretch, is that the Borg have never assimilated a race at that particular level of tech who had also developed an energy-based defense against such. After all, look where we are - we primarly use kinetic-based weaponry (with the first advent of non-lethatl microwave weaponry in the prototype stages) yet we have no "force fields" or such which are proof against them. And once we progress to using directed energy weapons, defenses against kinetic attacks will surely fall out of common usage.

That seems reasonable.

[Monroe]

That's if we ever change from using projectile weapons to using only energy weapons. Galatic Civilizations II has a lot in the way of cool bullet weaponary for the future.

I think with the way the military likes to have a wide range of weaponary there will still be bullets in the 24th century.

[Mikey]

If that were the case in any of the civilizations which the Borg had encountered, then it would be safe to assume that they would have also acquired an energy-based defense against such attacks.

[Captain Seafort]

If that were the case in any of the civilizations which the Borg had encountered, then it would be safe to assume that they would have also acquired an energy-based defense against such attacks.

Not necessarilly. Enough good old DU and Chobham armour will stop most weapons, so if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Congratulations on the promotion.

[Teaos]

Projectile weapons are so fast cheap and easy to make as well as being effective I can't see us getting rid of them any time soon.

[Sionnach Glic]

Cost is an important factor when it comes to weapons. Can you imagine how much it would cost to build a phaser? (if the were possible, that is)
There is also the fact that a lot of sci-fi weapons defy the laws of physics.

[Teaos]

The only thing you can say about phasers is that they can stun when a bullet can't. Not really a great reason to spend the money on them.

[Mikey]

Thank you, Captain S., and you're right. I let my brain get ahead of my logic a little - there is of course no reason to assume that a culture would concurrently develop different sides of the same coin.

There are problems inherent with ballistic weapons which do not figure into the design of many sci-fi directed energy weapons; namely the reliance on mechanical componenets and thus susceptibility to damage - which is not to say that some sci-fi weapons don't share the same vulnerability. Additionally, ballistic weapons rely on ammunition - even energy weapons which are depicted as relying on a limited power source (e. g., Star Wars blasters) can acheive a great deal more firing time on one "clip" or magazine-full.

However, the only directed-energy weapon that I know of that is even in a test-able prototype stage right now is a coherent microwave projector, which is the size of a trailer, requires a full-size truck to tow it, and sucks up power like it's going out of style. So, yes, ballistic weapons will be around until the total cost of an energy weapon (of design, production, and "ammo") becomes less than that of a ballistic weapon with an equivalent number of shots.

[Captain Seafort]

Ballistic weapons will always have some applications, even if they are largely replaced by directed-energy devices. The most important of of these is DE's restriction to line-of-sight - hills, dead ground and the curvature of the Earth shield targets from them. Ballistic weapons don't have this restriction, and so will always be a better choice for long-range artillery and indirect fire weapons (i.e. howitzers and mortars).

[Sionnach Glic]

namely the reliance on mechanical componenets and thus susceptibility to damage - which is not to say that some sci-fi weapons don't share the same vulnerability.

Seeing as how most energy weapons rely on some form of power to even fire the thing (or is some cases stop the gun exploding) I'd say that they would suffer more failures than a mechanical weapon. And they would be harder to fix than a modern gun if something went wrong. Not to mention the fact that some weapons (I'm looking at you, phasers!) go up like a granade if damaged.

[Teaos]

From the phasers we see in Star trek an AK47 or even a M-15 are more effective in combat. That spit out large numbers of rounds quickly and have a wide kill zone.