vivftp wrote:
Rikers statement about the photon torpedos came a full 1 minute, 5 seconds of on-screen time before Datas statement about the shields overloading. Long before the probe posed a serious threat to the Enterprise.
Also, Riker never mentioned multiple photon torpedos, he just said, "we can't use photon torpedos, an explosion this close would cripple us". Using them in the plural in this case is a very common usage when referring to something like that. It doesn't mean he's talking about a single torpedo or multiple torpedos, just torpedos themselves. There's no way you can figure out what yield Riker was referring to either.
Again, take the quotes in their proper context; Riker says photon torpedoes, while later Barclay follows up with giving the go-ahead for multiple (full spread) full-yeild photon torpedoes. Also take into account that only a 300% increase was needed over whatever the shields either started at, or were currently at, therefore Riker probably again ment the use of full-yeild, multiple torpedoes, and was not speaking just in the generic sense.
As for your other examples, I think you go too far in suggesting that every example is of an identical situation. In "Relics", "Genesis", "Preemptive Strike", "Home coming", ect. The ship is at further range, often with shields up, or simply no where near when it fires. It is also unclear what the yeild settings are at most of the time.
Do I really honestly have to spell it out? Every example in which photon torpedos are fired at a target in close proximity then. It's quite obvious I'm not talking about instances where photon torpedos are fired at targets at great range.
And again, do I have to spell out that in the vast majority of those instances, a yeild setting is never made.
Every single instance where photon torpedos are fired at targets at close range though, they all display the same characteristics I'm talking about.
Again, meaningless to default assume that
every torpedo fired at close range is on it's maximum setting. For instance, in ST6, you would have to explain away why the
Excelsior and
Enterprise-A would open up on Chang's BoP with a barrage of full-yeild torps with a shieldless and heavily damaged E-A sitting only a few hundred meters away! And this is well
before your theoretical directed energy photon torpedoes. The same goes for the
Reliant-Enterprise battles in ST2, and the E-BoP battle in ST3. All of those are engagements at a few hundred or so meters average distance, maybe a few km.
My point with the "Nth Degree" example, is that it is clearly made out by what they mean: dangerous for full-yeild torps to be dedonated near the ship, even with shields, and in the case of "Q Who", extremely dangerous for even a single torp without them (most likely full-yeild setting).
What you have to prove is this:
* That the torpedo mentioned in your example actually directs the energy totally in
one direction only, or at least most of it.
* That there is evidence of torp yeilds stated, while ships are in very close proximity when those statements are made.
* That there is not another explanation which is simpler and serves equally well: e.g. That there was an improvement in starship shielding, ala enhanced Barclay's in "The Nth Degree", that made such a thing possible. Conversely, it could be a
combination of
some directed energy, and
some significant shield improvements.
See my point?
-Mike