Scotty vs. Geordi vs. O'Brien vs. Torres vs. Tucker vs. R2D2

[Mutant Headcrab]

Explain this Skippy.

As stated, he's the only droid in existence capable of using the force.

Unfortunaetly he's from the Star Wars Tales comics which would fall under the Infinities label.

[Elim Garak]

The chief engineers of each Star Trek series are each given identical damaged ships. The ships use technology significantly different from what's used is Star Trek and Star Wars, however each competitor is fully briefed on their operation, and given all the tools necessary to get the ships up and running. First one to get their engines up and running and reach a planet 1ly away wins.

I would say it will be first in this order:

1. O'Brien - he has more experience with weird tech like Cardassian station.
2. Geordi & Scotty - they are both very good, though Scotty's knowledge might be a bit outdated.
3. Torres.
4. Tucker is last because he has less expereince than any others.

An astromech droid won't be able to fix anything. Unless the alien ship is equipped with one of the droid sockets with which it is compatible, and its only problem is software, no-way, no-how. An astromech won't be able to get near most of the problems, will barely be able to lift any of the tools or parts with those pathetic manipulators. At very very best it might be able to weld some stuff together - it has no other purpose.

[Darth Wong]

An astromech droid won't be able to fix anything. Unless the alien ship is equipped with one of the droid sockets with which it is compatible, and its only problem is software, no-way, no-how. An astromech won't be able to get near most of the problems, will barely be able to lift any of the tools or parts with those pathetic manipulators. At very very best it might be able to weld some stuff together - it has no other purpose.

An astromech droid will know what has to be done, and can use its welders and manipulators to get the job done unless you're just going to postulate that everything is really heavy and can't be moved without a lot of muscle power. Meanwhile, the Trek guys will be useless because they don't understand anything that's not basically similar to their technology base.

[Elim Garak]

An astromech droid won't be able to fix anything. Unless the alien ship is equipped with one of the droid sockets with which it is compatible, and its only problem is software, no-way, no-how. An astromech won't be able to get near most of the problems, will barely be able to lift any of the tools or parts with those pathetic manipulators. At very very best it might be able to weld some stuff together - it has no other purpose.

An astromech droid will know what has to be done, and can use its welders and manipulators to get the job done unless you're just going to postulate that everything is really heavy and can't be moved without a lot of muscle power.

Nope, not everything. But some things are. Furthermore, I believe it has only one rudimentary manipulator, which appeared to be extremely weak. One manipulator with extremely small range of motion is not going to be enough.

For example, lets say it needs to repair an ST-type console. To do that it has to get underneath it to swap out a burned out isolinear chip - or some equivalent thereof, whatever technology it uses. It would have a lot of trouble even getting under the console, let alone getting its manipulator open access panels, carefully moving chips and small details, etc.

Very few things in a modern device can be fixed with a welder and a really awful claw.

Meanwhile, the Trek guys will be useless because they don't understand anything that's not basically similar to their technology base.

Do you have proof that they won't be able to understand things? The initial idea was that they would be fully briefed.

[Darth Servo]

Very few things in a modern device can be fixed with a welder and a really awful claw.

That "really awful claw" was perfectly capable of fixing the Falcon's hyperdrive.

[Lord of the Farce]

For example, lets say it needs to repair an ST-type console. To do that it has to get underneath it to swap out a burned out isolinear chip - or some equivalent thereof, whatever technology it uses. It would have a lot of trouble even getting under the console, let alone getting its manipulator open access panels, carefully moving chips and small details, etc.

As Darth Servo already pointed out, R2-D2's built-in tools was perfectly fine at fixing the Falcon's sabotaged hyperdrive, as well as C-3PO (on two separate occasions). And as we (or at least, most of us) could tell from the original triology from many different occasions (when he was moving under water in TESB, and when all his tools popped up when he was shot in ROTJ), R2 has at least a dozen built-in tools which we don't normally see in action.

Oh, and right back at you: For example, lets say that the Feddies needs to repair a field generator in a large zero-g environment with no breathable air, and they need to be able to communicate to the ship's AI in binary form.

[LordShaithis]

Sorry, but Trekkie-boy is right. How's the R2 unit going to open a panel that's five feet up the wall?

[The Kernel]

Sorry, but Trekkie-boy is right. How's the R2 unit going to open a panel that's five feet up the wall?

Null the artificial gravity then use its zero-g rockets.

[Ender]

So according to Polinger here, despite having a multitude of tools built in and at his disposal, all R2 will use is his arc welder and manipulator arm.

Anyone else see a problem with this?

[Lord Poe]

So according to Polinger here, despite having a multitude of tools built in and at his disposal, all R2 will use is his arc welder and manipulator arm.

Anyone else see a problem with this?

Of course. Anton's the Trekkie who made a fool of himself in the R2 vs. Exocomps arguments on ASVS.

[Lancer]

Sorry, but Trekkie-boy is right. How's the R2 unit going to open a panel that's five feet up the wall?

Null the artificial gravity then use its zero-g rockets.

1. The rockets are capable of more than zero-g manouvering.

2. How would it kill the gravity on a starship that has no place for R2 to efficently and effectively interface with any controls? R2 can't magically poke it's dataprobe into an isolinear chip or bio-neural gel pack and suddenly have full access to the environmental controls.

[The Kernel]

1. The rockets are capable of more than zero-g manouvering.

2. How would it kill the gravity on a starship that has no place for R2 to efficently and effectively interface with any controls? R2 can't magically poke it's dataprobe into an isolinear chip or bio-neural gel pack and suddenly have full access to the environmental controls.

Are you suggesting that there isn't a control interface for the gravity? Besides, R2D2 could simply forcibly disable the power to the gravity if worse comes to worse and then repair it later. His rockets were obviously designed for zero-g manuvering anyways, so he'd be better off without gravity.

[Rhoades]

Sorry, but Trekkie-boy is right. How's the R2 unit going to open a panel that's five feet up the wall?

Null the artificial gravity then use its zero-g rockets.

1. The rockets are capable of more than zero-g manouvering.

2. How would it kill the gravity on a starship that has no place for R2 to efficently and effectively interface with any controls? R2 can't magically poke it's dataprobe into an isolinear chip or bio-neural gel pack and suddenly have full access to the environmental controls.

Even if his dataprobe could not, who is to say he could not hot hire into the system to interface with it, or scrap some crud device that can do the job. If the alien ship had some exotic dataport, then there must be some gadgets in the wreckage that could operate with it. All R2 needs to do is find one. If anything, he have a better idea on how tro access the system.

I've recalled a passage regarding the versitity of R2's data interface capabilities. I think it might had come from 'Before the Storm', with him, C-3P0 and Lando are salvaging some alien bio-ship. I don't have the book on me,and have vague details. But, if anything,that incidents shows how useful the astromech can be finding his way around an 'alien starship' with unfamilar technology.

[Darth Wong]

Who needs a dataport? The Borg broadcast their entire fucking network via wireless, remember? I didn't see a cable connecting Locutus to the cube, folks.

[Lancer]

Who needs a dataport? The Borg broadcast their entire fucking network via wireless, remember? I didn't see a cable connecting Locutus to the cube, folks.

I'm no expert on SW tech, but I don't seem to recall that R2 possessed a subspace tranciever.

[Rhoades]

I'm no expert on SW tech, but I don't seem to recall that R2 possessed a subspace tranciever.

In AotC, the R-type astromech droid that accompianed Obi-Wan had the ability to send communications from Genosis to Coruscant. Isn't that an example subspace technology?

[Lancer]

I'm no expert on SW tech, but I don't seem to recall that R2 possessed a subspace tranciever.

In AotC, the R-type astromech droid that accompianed Obi-Wan had the ability to send communications from Genosis to Coruscant. Isn't that an example subspace technology?

I believe that it was Obi-wan's fighter that sent the transmission not the driod, that his fighter managed to do so by commandeering the local communications network, and that the transmission was via hyperwave, not subspace.

[The Kernel]

I believe that it was Obi-wan's fighter that sent the transmission not the driod, that his fighter managed to do so by commandeering the local communications network, and that the transmission was via hyperwave, not subspace.

That's true; R2D2 had no subspace transmitter in Heir to the Empire when Luke got stranded after a run in with Thrawn. However, that just means he has no long range transmitter, it doesn't mean he can't pick up local signals (which is an obvious feature to add to such a droid).

[Lancer]

I believe that it was Obi-wan's fighter that sent the transmission not the driod, that his fighter managed to do so by commandeering the local communications network, and that the transmission was via hyperwave, not subspace.

That's true; R2D2 had no subspace transmitter in Heir to the Empire when Luke got stranded after a run in with Thrawn. However, that just means he has no long range transmitter, it doesn't mean he can't pick up local signals (which is an obvious feature to add to such a droid).

Without subspace com, how would R2 manage to hack into the borg subspace networks? (Note: it doesn't matter if R2 can send messages via hyperwave or any other method besides subspace, the borg are explicitly stated to use subspace networks)

[SirNitram]

If HttE only rules out long range, Subspace is still an option. Subspace comms have been in use in the Empire for tens of thousands of years..

[Lancer]

If HttE only rules out long range, Subspace is still an option. Subspace comms have been in use in the Empire for tens of thousands of years..

And would SW subspace happen to be the same thing as ST subspace? The properties of ST subspace have been well explored, but ST subspace (to my knowledge here) is not the same thing as SW subspace.

[SirNitram]

If HttE only rules out long range, Subspace is still an option. Subspace comms have been in use in the Empire for tens of thousands of years..

And would SW subspace happen to be the same thing as ST subspace? The properties of ST subspace have been well explored, but ST subspace (to my knowledge here) is not the same thing as SW subspace.

Please show whatever evidence you have for them being completely different entities.

[Lancer]

If HttE only rules out long range, Subspace is still an option. Subspace comms have been in use in the Empire for tens of thousands of years..

And would SW subspace happen to be the same thing as ST subspace? The properties of ST subspace have been well explored, but ST subspace (to my knowledge here) is not the same thing as SW subspace.

Please show whatever evidence you have for them being completely different entities.

ST Subspace:
Exposure to ST subspace can drive humans mad
ST subspace interacts with "normal" space through a variety of ways (subspace rifts, subspace shockwaves a la praxix, warp drives)
Lifeforms that exist in ST subspace manifest in realspace (photonic life forms, deep-subspace domain lifeforms, etc)
Omega particles destroy subspace
Subspace can be "folded" by a transporter system
Gravatational fields can bend the rules of physics, certain materials can shield against these effects (not explicitly stated as subspace, but how else can you explain the whole Delphic expanse stuff?)
Quantum singularaties are linked to subspace
subspace can be used to send communications.

To my knowledge, SW subspace only does communications.

[SirNitram]

And what among this indicates they are different? All you've shown is that ST uses Subspace more. Not surprising: SW used it tens of thousands of years ago.

It should be noted, however, subspace is used for both sensors and communications in the mid-ranges.

[Lancer]

And what among this indicates they are different? All you've shown is that ST uses Subspace more. Not surprising: SW used it tens of thousands of years ago.

It should be noted, however, subspace is used for both sensors and communications in the mid-ranges.

If ST subspace interacts with normal space of it's own accord and SW doesn't, that's all I need to distinguish between the two.