Gasphemer wrote:
Really, arguing about fictional technology is moot because as awesome as it is... it's not real.
Ah, so it's this line of argument again. God, I hate this train of thought sometimes because as politely as it's worded it's always just a veiled way of saying "lol it's not real just relax you obssessive nerd." I always hate the smugness underlying that kind of dismissiveness.
Yes, we know it's not real. Yes, we know a lot of liberties are taken in the name of artistic license. Yes, we know writers don't think things any deeper. And, yes, we do in fact have a life beyond arguing about what's "real" on a fictional object. However, if we wanna have a serious discussion, then we at least try to find an internal consistency based on some sort of reference. If we're gonna discuss something seriously, then we at least try to assume that the Star Trek universe operates on some kind of sense rather than the ad hoc mishmash of plot devices ite ssentially is. And since this happens to be a discussion on the
military technology of a
science-fiction, then we try to compare it to sensical real world points of reference to try and make sense of it.
If that's not your thing, too bad because that's how this board does it. Why is it done that way? Because anything else and the only discussion that happens will be:
"It's stupid, but it's cool so I'll give it a pass!"
"Oh yeah? Well this thing looks more awesome!"
"Please, that other thing is clearly more badass looking to me so I win!"
Simply put, the discussion goes fucking no where because it all ends up about what's personally subjectively cooler to the poster in question with no deeper reason beyond that. Little better than a playground argument of "my dad can beat your dad because I say so."