Thursday, January 15, 2009

Adama (Olmos) vs Kirk

Come on, admit it, you have stayed up late wondering
"Who would win in a battle, the Galactica, or the Enterprise?".
Just to set the stage, I mean the new Galactica and the original Enterprise. From a technology standpoint the new and original Galacticas are basically the same, I just like Olmos better. :)

Well it turns out that the gang over at dvice have been wondering the same thing and they put this nice comparison together for us. Its an interesting article that really highlights the philosophical differences between the technologies.

While I basically agree with the articles individual points, and I would like to agree with its conclusion, I can't. In a ship to ship fight, I think that the Enterprise could win. Kirk would swoop in, throw a few photon torpedoes and phaser the crap out of Galactica faster than Adama could say "what the frak...".
On the other hand, if Adama saw Enterprise coming... Yes, Galactica would win, easily. Adama would launch vipers, fire broadside into Enterprise and be done in time for a quick drink in the Officers Mess. So I guess that it all comes down to warp detection. Would Adama see Enterprise inbound?

Hopefully Andy will be able to sleep at night now that this has been put to rest, I know I will.

3 comments:

  1. Yo Bro, Kirk Rocks the Kasba. Tiberius? Do the history, do the math, do the Dew. Are you kidding?
    Kirk wins hands down! Ya'll got nuthin on JT Kirk. I win by default.

    Give me a good ship and stars to steer

    RIP Khan Noonien Singh

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  2. kay. I haven't read the article yet, but just a quick "nu-uh!" Galactica would win, hands down. Enterprise is a science and recon vessel with the capabilities to defend itself in the event it gets into trouble. It's got a couple of phaser arrays that can really only fire one at a time if you want to run away at the same time, and two torpedo tubes with opposing fire arcs, so against a single large target, also single-fire. Galactica is a warship. Trouble is her middle name (Battlestar T. Galactica). Even if the Enterprise swoops in entirely undetected and gets off a quick volley, any decent commander has alert vipers ready to rawk. Granted, vipers aren't going to do much but harass the Enterprise, but they can't be ignored or they will score a critical hit eventually (assuming an AC of 10 or worse).

    A word on shields. For the purpose of this engagement, Enterprise basically doesn't have any. She's got energy shields, which are great against phasers and disruptors and even god old quad-blaster turrets or a hybrid weapon like photon torpedoes. Against the mark II Viper's machine guns, the Enterprise will have her structural integrity field, and that's about it. If there's a raptor in the air, it won't take them long to realize that a bullet or two through the deflector array will put all of Enterprise's defensive capabilities out of commission.

    Okay. I just wrote out a whole big long (minute and a half) scenario in which the fact that Adama has Vipers/Raptors is what really defeats Kirk. As soon as Kirk warps in, the CAP engages. Kirk, going after the immediate threat, wastes his initial surprise attack shooting down a Viper, while Galactica brings her main battery to bear.

    While Kirk and Scotty quickly figure out how to re-calibrate their structural integrity field to defend Enterprise against projectile weapons, as soon as tey impliment their plan, the CAP Raptor detects te power surge in the primary emitter, telling the Vipers exactly where to attack.

    Not that it turns out to matter. By the time Kirk takes out the two CAP vipers and sends a torpedo salvo at Galactica (damage mitigated by auto-fire flak barrier), the alert vipers are on him and Galactica's main battery is pounding the piss out of him.



    This will be a little un-realistic in that, in realtime, it takes longer than a micro-second to issue three or four orders, but just go with it.


    T +0: Enterprise warps in, completely unforeseen, tail-to-tail with Galactica, giving them a tactical advantage, as Galactica's only rear-firing weapons are her nuclear launch bays (which aren't prepped).
    ADAMA: Launch alert vipers! Helm: full starboard! Order the CAP to engage! Weapons free! Target all batteries on unknown vessel! Fire at will!
    KIRK: Red alert! Power to weapons! Shields at maximum! (really he only has to say "red alert" and the other stuff is supposed to be inferred, but Kirk likes to be assertive. Riker never has to tell Worf to arm the phasers. Worf knows what Red Alert means) Ahead full impulse!

    T +5: Combat Air Patrol (Viper 1, Viper 2, Raptor 1) engages Enterprise. Vipers harass Enterprise with mildly-effective fire while Raptor 1 scans her and starts figuring out what to shoot at.

    Alert Vipers (Viper 3, Viper 4, Viper 5) exit launch tubes and bear on Enterprise.

    Galactica is at heading 045 from initial position.

    Enterprise's weapons are ready to go

    KIRK: Target phasers on attacking ships! Fire at will!
    RIKER: Why is it always me!?
    ADAMA: All batteries engage auto fire sequence Bravo. Target unidentified vessel, but establish a heavy flak cloud. Scramble all pilots. I want a boarding party out the door in thirty seconds!

    Enterprise fires phasers and destroys Viper 1.

    T +10: Raptor 1 has identified Enterprise's critical systems, but has not yet traced the source of her EM fields.

    Viper 2 continues to harass Enterprise.

    Galactica is at bearing 090 from initial heading.

    Galactica's starboard batteries commence selective fire, establishing a flak barrier while one or two batteries fire on Enterprise.

    Enterprise's phasers are recharging.

    Enterprise has sustained light damage from Viper 2, and begins taking heavier damage from Galactica. No hull breaches, and no critical system damaged.

    SCOTT: Hull integrity is at 60 percent sir. Shields completely ineffective against their projectile weapons.
    KIRK: Target that cruiser and fire torpedoes! Scotty! See if you can re-route power from the shields to boost the structural integrity field!

    Enterprise fires three photon torpedoes at Galactica from aft torpedo tube.

    T +15: Alert Vipers engage Enterprise.

    Viper 2 continues to harass Enterprise, concentrating on aft torpedo tube.

    Raptor 1 has identified Enterprise's structural integrity field, but cannot yet determine its source. Phaser arrays have also been identified.

    Galactica is now at heading 180 from initial bearing, and is now facing Enterprise's stern.

    Enterprise's torpedoes reach Galactica. One impacts the flak barrier, dealing no damage to Galactica. The other two punch a hole through the starboard flight pod, former home displays, current home of "Joe's bar."

    Enterprise's phasers are recharged.

    Enterprise's aft torpedo tubes are being re-loaded.

    ADAMA: Ahead full! Target main battery on unknown vessel! Let 'em have it!

    SCOTTY: I've done it sir! I've re-routed all power from the energy shields back through the emitters. That should boost the integrity field and give us an effective defense against their weapons.
    KIRK: Well done Mr. Scott. Target phasers on the smaller vessels. Turn us around. Next time I fire torpedoes, I want them all to hit something.

    Galactica's main battery commences firing on Enterprise, who immediately regrets ever having gone anywhere, especially where someone else has apparently gone before (otherwise, they wouldn't be fighting, would they?)

    Enterprise fires phasers and destroys Viper 2

    Raptor 1 immediately recognizes the power surge in the emitter dish and correlates it with the sudden increase in power of the structural integrity field.

    T +20: Enterprise is being pounded by Galactica's main battery, and is being harassed by three Vipers.

    Viper 6 is in the launch tube.

    Raptor 2 is ready to launch, awaiting marine boarding party.

    Raptor 1 instructs Vipers to target Enterprise's primary emitter.

    Enterprise is bearing 045 from initial heading

    Galactica is still bearing on Enterprise.

    Enterprise's structural integrity field is gradually weakening.

    Enterprise's phasers are recharging

    ADAMA: recalibrate the flak batteries. Next time he fires torpedoes, I want them out of the sky before they get a chance to arm.

    KIRK: Fire torpedos!


    Need I continue? At this point, Enterprise is done. Galactica will take one more torpedo hit, and take severe, possibly critical damage, but once Raptor 1 figures out to go for the primary emitter, it's game over. That coupled with the fact that the shield trick really shouldn't have worked as well as I allowed it to makes Galactica the winner, hands down.

    NOW Andy can sleep at night.

    If it had been Picard, in either of his Enterprises, he would have stood a chance. Multiple phaser arrays, quicker recharge times, quantum torpedoes, multiple turpedo bays, useful shuttlecraft or runabouts (runs-about?), and actual tactical acumen would have made that a much better fight. But if I do that, I'd have to give Adama Pegasus. Maybe some other time. Maybe Monday. Who knows?

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  3. PS After reading the DVICE article, and several of the comments thereto, I still say that Galactica would win any fight, but I now add that neither the writer of the article, nor the commentors thereon, know very much about hard science. Points are given to Enterprise for there "deflecter shields". The Enterprise does not have deflecter shields. It has energy shields, which, as one comment points out, are completely inneffective against projectile weapons. "But they work against photon torpedoes!" Yes they do. Photon torpedoes, being similar to nuclear weapons, would be quite hindered by energy shields. To stop a bullet, however, you need particle shields. Deflector screens, such as those found on the Millennium Falcon, are a hybrid of both particle AND energy shields. I need to sleep now, and Dvorak is tricky when tired. I love you all, and good night. Or morning. Whatever. Bye.

    PPS Is there an "edit comment" function I haven't found yet? Cause PS's are really not my bag, baby.

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