Tech Analysis: Nemesis phaser rifle.

[Alyeska]

Bear with me, this is a rough draft and I JUST finished typing it up. I figured I would let you guys have a look and maybe give me some suggestions or maybe show things I missed.

Ok, this is my first essay of sorts on my analysis of the technology shown in Nemesis. For this particular essay I shall be detailing the Type-3 phaser rifle seen in the movie.

First some history is required. There are a variety of phaser rifles that have been shown in Star Trek since TNG and they have a variety of capabilities. The first rifle of note is the Type-3 rifle. This rifle was first seen in TNG and has made more appearances in DS9 then it did in TNG. This rifle seems to be an extension on the Type-2 design currently in use with the same firepower, but greater power storage. The main way to aim the rifle seems to be through a flip-up scope. To assist with aiming the rifle could also have a flashlight attached, though it conflicted with the scope. The somewhat strange thing is that most people did not seem to use this scope, but they still maintained a relatively high level of accuracy when firing against enemies even as far away as 100 meters. This is somewhat explained in the DS9 episode Return to Grace. Major Kira explains to Tora Zial (Dukats daughter) that the Cardassian phaser rifle is a very rugged but useful weapon to use with only two power settings. She then goes on to explain that the Type-3 phaser rifle “is a whole different beast” or something along those lines. It has 16 power settings as well as auto targeting features and friend/foe systems. This would indicate that the rifle can aim for itself and that would actually explain why beams fired from Type-3 rifles do not always line up on axis with the weapon itself.

The next rifle is that of the Compression Phaser Rifle. This has only been seen in Voyager and its only been seen to fire Pulses. For the purpose of this essay we will refer to it as the Type-3vgr because of its appearance on that series. We saw it for the most part on Voyager, and to an extent also on the Equinox as well. The USS Equinox was lost before Voyager (had to because it was also abducted by Caretaker). We only see the Type-3vgr on the Equinox while we see the Type-3vgr as well as the Type-3a and Type-3b. The Type-3vgr seems to be made with combat in mind while the Type-3 is more general use for not just in combat. Its rare use and only being put on certain ships indicates that this is possibly a prototype weapon.

Next is the Type-3a. This rifle was first seen in First Contact and has also been shown in DS9 and VGR. This particular weapon is listed in the DS9 TM as a Compression phaser rifle. This is supported by the fact that we have only ever seen it fire pulse shots. It seems to be a much more heavily combat orientated design, possibly a production model over the Type-3vgr. The rifle features such things as a combo scope and flashlight as well as retracting sling and a trigger guard.

The newest rifle before Nemesis is the Type-3b. This rifle as stated by the DS9 TM “The type-3b also boasts a new seeker/tracker, possessing both passive and active EM and subspace detectors.” Combined with the previous information it would seem part of how Phaser Rifles work is that they use some sort of auto tracking capability and that the Type-3b has the best auto tracking capability. The rifle looks visually similar to that of the Type-3a, but has a different barrel to the weapon that is smoother and more rounded, also somewhat smaller. This rifle also has performance differences. In VGR this rifle has been shown to fire beams while in First Contact and Insurrection it fired pulses. At first I would have written this off to being a VFX mistake but then Nemesis changed this. The Reman rifle in Nemesis fired both pulses and beams. This is two completely different weapons have similar properties. I am inclined to agree now that the Type-3b is a multi use rifle that can fire both beams and pulses. This would also be why the Type-3b is not listed as a Compression rifle while the Type-3a was. It would seem that design properties were combined from the Type-3 and Type-3a into the Type-3b. It should be noted that the Type-3a, 3b, and 3vgr all had to have a similar design period and construction with maybe a few months separating them for Voyager to have had a stock of all three. Something else should be noted about the Type-3a and 3b designs. They can take sustained shock damage from close combat when smashing them against Borg drones with Klingon level strength or using them to smash combat drones like the Sona use while the rifle shows no visible damage.

The newest rifle shown is that in Nemesis. Upon first inspection the rifle seems identical to the Type-3b except it has a targeting sight. However there are enough differences that this should be considered a new subclass just as the 3b is to the 3a. This rifle for now will be called the Type-3c. The Type-3c has one immediately obvious difference from the 3b. This rifle now sports a red targeting sight positioned behind and slightly above the flashlight. Also the Flashlight is of a new and seemingly more powerful design as its shape has changed to allow a larger flashlight point. The less obvious changes are the power and charge indicators on top of the rifle just behind the flashlight. There also seems to be a battery charger handle that is pulled to “cock” the rifle. Possibly this has to do with the power clip. Additionally the rifle has a slightly altered emittion tip. First looking at the rifle one would think that targeting sight is for a backup somewhat similar to the Type-3 incase the targeting capabilities are compromised. However combat performance of the rifle indicates this is either untrue or the rifle has altered capabilities for that particular combat. Throughout the movie Nemesis the Type-3c was seen in combat twice and both times it had similar shown capabilities. The rifle was firing a slightly different looking pulse and had a different sound then the 3b did in Insurrection and First Contact. Additionally the rifle was firing at much higher rates of fire. The most shown was a three shot burst in the space of less then a second. The rifle also did not have the accuracy levels of ANY of the previous rifles. There are two possible explanations for this. The first is that the auto targeting feature was removed to allow for greater refire. This explains why the red sight was installed. The second is that auto targeting can not be used with the high refire rate, which again is why the red sight was installed. Either option seems reasonable, though I am inclined to go with the first because the rifle *Seems* more powerful. It seems they traded off one capability for another. If this is the case then its likely the 3b is still a main production model and this is merely another variant rifle for different uses. Another thing should be noted in Nemesis is that Picard used the 3c to hit a Reman over the head twice. The rifle broke cleanly in half and was bent at a bad angle. Possible explanations for this is a faulty weapon because of a random flaw in the construction. This seems plausible because faults do happen by accident. The other is that when the rifle went into main production cheaper materials were used. However the second is unlikely for two reasons. Compared to other governments the Federation seems obsessed with safety and they have an insane number of safety measures, like 2nd emergency coupling and the sort. It seems unlikely they would compromise the design this way. Secondly is that this is a new design variant off the other rifle and it does not seem to be in full production yet so the design can not yet be altered. Its possible this design is even in testing still.

As a end note there is one last rifle. This is the Type-3eva as I call it. This rifle was also featured in First Contact. Its design follows the Type-3a more closely, except this rifle has been optimized for EVA type combat. It has a forward grip to allow for easier aiming and quicker use. The trigger guard has been removed. There is no sling, and the stock has been “hollowed” out. There are also two magnetic points on the rifle that allow it to be placed down in a zero-G environment. Other then the mostly cosmetic outer changes its operational patterns are identical to the Type-3a.

[Master of Ossus]

Great article, Alyeska. Is this the first part of your "Nemesis" analysis? Can we look forward to more such updates in the future?

[Alyeska]

Great article, Alyeska. Is this the first part of your "Nemesis" analysis? Can we look forward to more such updates in the future?

Yes, this is the start of my tech analysis of the movie. This is just a rough draft and I an quite open to suggestions to my theories and the like. Chris O'Farrell already gave me a suggestion to the accuracy and refire question and I amended the article already.

Next on my list is the Scimitar and Enterprise. I want to detail their combat capabilities. Additionally there will be a history aspect to the Enterprise and its upgrades that appear in the movie.

[Anarchist Bunny]

I have a question and a comment, Can phasers be replicated?

Because a random design flaw would seem unlikely in replication.

[Alyeska]

I have a question and a comment, Can phasers be replicated?

Because a random design flaw would seem unlikely in replication.

You ever get a momentary computer glitch? It does happen. Though as far as I known Rifles can't be replicated. Voyager used the Type-3VGRs for a while but it seemed after there was attrition with those rifles they started mixing in the 3a's and 3b's. This indicates they couldn't easily replicate them.

[Rob Wilson]

The newest rifle before Nemesis is the Type-3b. This rifle as stated by the DS9 TM “The type-3b also boasts a new seeker/tracker, possessing both passive and active EM and subspace detectors.” Combined with the previous information it would seem part of how Phaser Rifles work is that they use some sort of auto tracking capability and that the Type-3b has the best auto tracking capability.

And yet Beverly, Picard and Worf all miss with this weapon in the movie.

The first is that the auto targeting feature was removed to allow for greater refire. This explains why the red sight was installed. The second is that auto targeting can not be used with the high refire rate, which again is why the red sight was installed.

3rd option, it was removed because it never worked reliably. The only time we have seen the Feds never miss the target was First Contact, look below and see if you can tell me why?

http://www.stardestroyer.net/Empire/Tec ... _Rifle.jpg

Looking through the sight before firing, what a concept!

Other than those nitpicks, that's a good pocket review Alyeska. Cheers.

Image linked

[Alyeska]

The newest rifle before Nemesis is the Type-3b. This rifle as stated by the DS9 TM “The type-3b also boasts a new seeker/tracker, possessing both passive and active EM and subspace detectors.” Combined with the previous information it would seem part of how Phaser Rifles work is that they use some sort of auto tracking capability and that the Type-3b has the best auto tracking capability.

And yet Beverly, Picard and Worf all miss with this weapon in the movie.

The first is that the auto targeting feature was removed to allow for greater refire. This explains why the red sight was installed. The second is that auto targeting can not be used with the high refire rate, which again is why the red sight was installed.

3rd option, it was removed because it never worked reliably. The only time we have seen the Feds never miss the target was First Contact, look below and see if you can tell me why?

http://www.stardestroyer.net/Empire/Tec ... _Rifle.jpg

Looking through the sight before firing, what a concept!

Other than those nitpicks, that's a good pocket review Alyeska. Cheers.

One point that your bring up is that they miss in Insurrection. Thing is that they HIT the target more often then miss, and this is when firing even from the hip. Both Beverly and Picard fired at a relatively fast moving small object (drone) and Beverly missed it by centimeters while Picard hit it dead on. Both would have hit a real human being. Either way their targeting was being assisted because they were making rather "absurd" shots from the hip or one handed or the sort and still getting relatively high levels of accuracy in that movie. Combined with the elements from the DS9 TM and the DS9 episode that I paraphrased from, there is a known auto tracking capability on the rifle. I also noted that this capability was lacking in Nemesis.

Image linked

[Rob Wilson]

One point that your bring up is that they miss in Insurrection. Thing is that they HIT the target more often then miss, and this is when firing even from the hip. Both Beverly and Picard fired at a relatively fast moving small object (drone) and Beverly missed it by centimeters while Picard hit it dead on. Both would have hit a real human being. Either way their targeting was being assisted because they were making rather "absurd" shots from the hip or one handed or the sort and still getting relatively high levels of accuracy in that movie. Combined with the elements from the DS9 TM and the DS9 episode that I paraphrased from, there is a known auto tracking capability on the rifle.

Yet they still miss, that being the point, and the number of times they've missed in DS9 and Voyager shows how bad the previous versions were, no wonder they binned it by the time Nemesis rolled round.

I also noted that this capability was lacking in Nemesis.

And I ackowledged that, it was what my second point you quoted dealt with.
It simply did not work properly and so was thrown away (plus if it used active systems of any sort it would have been a liability to the user, and if it's passive how does it correct/aim a pulse weapon - a beam weapon maybe, but not a pulse.), lets face it, nothing beats aiming the weapon through a sight.

[Alyeska]

Yet they still miss, that being the point, and the number of times they've missed in DS9 and Voyager shows how bad the previous versions were, no wonder they binned it by the time Nemesis rolled round.

Auto targeting does not equate to perfect accuracy, what it does equate to is improved accuracy and the capability to fire without shouldering the weapon. And as to the accuracy issue with Voyager and DS9, that accuracy is not so low as you are indicating. DS9 actually showed greater then 50% accuracy with the Type-3 rifle. As already indicated earlier the Type-3 has been shown to direct beams against enemies off axis from the weapon itself. Combined with already known information about the Type-3 this is clear evidence that auto targeting exists. It does not make accuracy perfect, but it improves accuracy so that some, or even many shots that normally would have been misses are now hits. Without this known feature, accuracy would be far worse. In the hands of a competent soldier, accuracy improves yet again.

Voyager did show less accuracy then DS9. However part of the problem with Voyager is their use of the Type-3VGR rifle which we know next to nothing about, so it theoretically could have no targeting. The other rifle we saw them missing with is the Type-3b rifle. As I said earlier, in the hands of an idiot the rifle accuracy will improve, but not be perfect. DS9 depicted far more combat with people that seemed to have more ground combat experience. Voyager was crewed by relatively new people, was on its shake down, was not fully crewed, lost part of its crew, and had inexperienced Maquis fighters on board as well. Where as DS9 had combat veteranized security personel, Voyager had raw meat and idiots using the guns.

And I ackowledged that, it was what my second point you quoted dealt with.
It simply did not work properly and so was thrown away (plus if it used active systems of any sort it would have been a liability to the user, and if it's passive how does it correct/aim a pulse weapon - a beam weapon maybe, but not a pulse.), lets face it, nothing beats aiming the weapon through a sight.

Did not work? We saw shots from the hip by phaser rifles comming within centimeters of hitting small moving and fast drones. That is not a failure, that is a bloody sucess. Auto Targeting increases the accuracy, it does not make it perfect. Misses can and will happen. It would be like taking a 90% accuracy with a missile and calling that a failure. The system was not scraped and I gave multiple indications why. The Type-3c rifle opperates under a different function then the Type-3b. It is more rapid fire and is designed for close combat with supression being a key goal. Longer ranged combat actually fires at a lower rate of fire and needs heavier accuracy because of the ranges involved.

[Tootootoo]

I have a question and a comment, Can phasers be replicated?

Because a random design flaw would seem unlikely in replication.

In one VGR episode Janeway took the replicators offline in the quarters of an official who apparently "defected" from his government, incase he replicated a weapon. She could have been talking about a knife or something, but I doubt it, because you wouldn't need a replicator to fashion a sharp stabbing object.

Also, about accuracy, I don't find it particularly hard to believe that phasers could have them. I'm sure most of us have seen examples where phasers shot in a slightly different direction then the weapon itself was pointing. It could be CG error in the show itself, sure. Also, even shuttlepod phasers have been seen following targets independant of the direction of the shuttle, and handhelds are basically lower-level versions of their starship-laden cousins. Also in an episode of DS9 where Ben and company were stranded with a Vorta and some Jems, the Feds were scoring pretty good accuracy at ranges around 50-100 meters (estimate). Some missed, but I'm sure they were because of that stupid Nog who decided not to use his targetting thingamabob.

[Pu-239]

well someone did replicate the TR-111

[Alyeska]

My theory behind replicators is that they can create most things, but at a higher cost then standard manufacture.

[The Silence and I]

There is more evidence for Aleska's targeting claim:


That looks like a sensor to me...

[Sea Skimmer]

There is more evidence for Aleska's targeting claim:


That looks like a sensor to me...

Looks like a small decal that could just as easily be a bar code to me.

[Darth Wong]

You have to think about the logic of this thing: if the auto-targeting system exists, then how can it be so shitty as to miss an object the size of a man from a range of 20 metres?

This "off-axis" firing doesn't prove auto-targeting: we know that phaser emitters can do that (from shipboard emitters), and so it either indicates an absolutely horrendous auto-targeting system, or a weapon with poor construction quality control.

This thing, if it existed, might actually be a detriment to a competent soldier. He could conceivably point it directly at someone, and the piece of shit gun might fire at some blinking light behind him. Worse yet, the enemy might figure out how to scramble its sensors so the Feddies are all aiming and missing. I can just see it now: "I had him lined up, but it fired off to the right! WTF?!?!?"

PS. How do you tell it what to target?

[Master of Ossus]

I don't think that the auto-targetting system, if it exists, was demonstrated in "Nemesis" to be particularly reliable. We did see several instances of UFP officers firing and missing from a distance of less than 10 meters. That is inconceivably poor accuracy, even using standard iron sights. On the other hand, the decal from the phaser does seem to indicate that phasers use (or at least have the ability to use) some sort of active targetting system, though I find it difficult to believe that the off-axis firing capability has anything to do with the auto-aim.

[Darth Wong]

This reminds me of Microsoft: "it's not a bug, it's a feature!"

"Misdirected firing isn't shitty production quality control; it's a feature!"

Why do we assume that this shitty off-axis firing is deliberate, instead of being the result of cheaply made weapons? We're talking about weapons that are apparently made of plastic, after all.

[Alyeska]

You have to think about the logic of this thing: if the auto-targeting system exists, then how can it be so shitty as to miss an object the size of a man from a range of 20 metres?

This "off-axis" firing doesn't prove auto-targeting: we know that phaser emitters can do that (from shipboard emitters), and so it either indicates an absolutely horrendous auto-targeting system, or a weapon with poor construction quality control.

This thing, if it existed, might actually be a detriment to a competent soldier. He could conceivably point it directly at someone, and the piece of shit gun might fire at some blinking light behind him. Worse yet, the enemy might figure out how to scramble its sensors so the Feddies are all aiming and missing. I can just see it now: "I had him lined up, but it fired off to the right! WTF?!?!?"

PS. How do you tell it what to target?

Mike, you just asked a very good question that also raises a question with one of your own ideas. How to target it? How does the user tell the rifle to fire off axis like you suggest they do? When its been done that way, we have seen them apparently busy just fighting.

And yes, there have been misses. But at the same time, they are showing greater then 50% accuracy. Yes, they do miss, however they HIT more often then not. And its concievable that such jamming or other things could be incorperated, but that is why the rifles have all had a sight of one sort or another for back up use.

[Alyeska]

I don't think that the auto-targetting system, if it exists, was demonstrated in "Nemesis" to be particularly reliable. We did see several instances of UFP officers firing and missing from a distance of less than 10 meters. That is inconceivably poor accuracy, even using standard iron sights. On the other hand, the decal from the phaser does seem to indicate that phasers use (or at least have the ability to use) some sort of active targetting system, though I find it difficult to believe that the off-axis firing capability has anything to do with the auto-aim.

Already adressed that. Nemesis shows a rifle with compeltely different capabilities, one of them excluding the auto-targeting features.

[Alyeska]

There is more evidence for Aleska's targeting claim:


That looks like a sensor to me...

Looks like a small decal that could just as easily be a bar code to me.

But then look at it this way. There is no conceivable way to aim such a weapon. Yet we have seen people score reasonable accuracy levels with this.

[Darth Wong]

OK, hypothetical scenario:

Step 1: Prior to TNG, during an era of extended peace, the "peace dividend" is used to convert Starfleet to an essentially non-military role, so that capital warships will eventually be reduced to ignominious tasks such as ferrying VIP's from place to place like glorified interstellar limousines (I'm not making this up; watch TNG).

Step 2: As part of the "peace dividend", huge numbers and varieties of weapons from Kirk's era are retired. Starfleet standardizes on a handful of hand phasers.

Step 3: Military planners (none of whom were old enough to live through the last war and many of whom are openly contemptuous of the generation that did) co-operate with designers (all of whom are scientists rather than engineers or end-users) to design a new generation of weapon which will make any individual Federation soldier into a walking, self-contained infantry squad. This weapon will combine anti-personnel, crowd control, light demolition, and auto-targeting capabilities into a compact package. Older critics angrily denounce the new weapon as an unreliable, overcomplicated toy with inadequate ammunition capacity and inferior performance compared to specialized weapons and devices. They are dismissed as "hawks" who do not understand the new astro-politics and the new face of Starfleet.

Step 4: For many years, this approach seems to bear up, for the simple reason that Starfleet troops rarely engage in ground combat.

Step 5: As the Dominion War begins, the longstanding complaints of front-line personnel about weapon unreliability and performance begin to mount up. It is even rumoured that during the Bajoran War of Independence, Bajoran rebels preferred not to use the Federation weapons that were secretly smuggled to them. Apparently, the auto-targeting system rarely works in the field, and its propensity for firing off-axis at the wrong target or being confused in high-ECM environments is being increasingly blamed for preventable casualties.

Step 6: Starfleet starts deploying weapons which shoot straight, and whose continuous-fire capability has been removed or made optional in favour of burst-firing which is not as wasteful of ammunition.

I can see where Alyeska's coming from: this scenario is not inconceivable. It implies great stupidity on the part, but people can be stupid, so this is hardly unreasonable.

[Darth Wong]

But then look at it this way. There is no conceivable way to aim such a weapon. Yet we have seen people score reasonable accuracy levels with this.

With years of practice. There are trick-shooters in the world who can hit targets while shooting behind their backs or blind-folded, too. It doesn't mean the gun is an auto-targeting gun (or at least, not one that works in a practical sense).

[The Silence and I]

Darth Wong wrote:

With years of practice. There are trick-shooters in the world who can hit targets while shooting behind their backs or blind-folded, too. It doesn't mean the gun is an auto-targeting gun (or at least, not one that works in a practical sense).

True, but even unskilled ensigns have hit targets with these things. I doubt they have years of practice. (Personally, the banana curve of these weapons fits the curve of my wrist really well and I have few problems aiming within reasonable range. But most people do seem to find the shape impossible to use)

[Darth Garden Gnome]

True, but even unskilled ensigns have hit targets with these things. I doubt they have years of practice. (Personally, the banana curve of these weapons fits the curve of my wrist really well and I have few problems aiming within reasonable range. But most people do seem to find the shape impossible to use)

Well apparently all SF personell, at least ensigns anyways, go to the Academy, so yes they do. And I recall some sort of holodeck phaser aiming sessions.

And the hand phaser (type-2?) has trulyterrible[/i]ergonomics. I wouldn't fire that thing with a ten foot stick. Give me a good old fashioned pistol anyday of the week.

[Howedar]

The Nemesis one is approaching the half-usable level.