How big SHOULD the Federation Fleet be?

[Graham Kennedy]

Yes but they modified it so that it wasn't in the end. And I was half right on Wesley...

[Deepcrush]

What we get out of this is that the GCS can clearly produce more power then its weapons can support. So upgrading the warp core isn't all thats involved in improving the offensive/defensive systems of the GCS.

So if you plan to multiply the power output of the main phasers by 9x as Aki talked about you're going to have to refit more then just warp core.

[Atekimogus]

So if you plan to multiply the power output of the main phasers by 9x as Aki talked about you're going to have to refit more then just warp core.

True, but since we know of power upgrades yet never see phaser arrays switched, or Excelsiors replacing ball turrets with stripes etc. that leads me to believe that the bottleneck in the system is not the phaser emitter (the cannon itself if you will) but some other part which isn't seen from the outside and which could be any system, buffer etc. involved in the process between power generating and firing the phaser.

[stitch626]

There are probably many internal components that would limit power output. And some are probably intentional (to avoid the risk of damaging the phasers, even if they could handle the max power).

[Deepcrush]

So if you plan to multiply the power output of the main phasers by 9x as Aki talked about you're going to have to refit more then just warp core.

True, but since we know of power upgrades yet never see phaser arrays switched, or Excelsiors replacing ball turrets with stripes etc. that leads me to believe that the bottleneck in the system is not the phaser emitter (the cannon itself if you will) but some other part which isn't seen from the outside and which could be any system, buffer etc. involved in the process between power generating and firing the phaser.

Yes, but no upgrade has ever shown anywhere near the power increase you're talking about. The Defiant has the highest single weapon's power increase that we've seen that didn't risk blowing up the ship and even then it was a 30% and it was still damaged the ship.

Also, if the upgrade isn't seen from the outside then it must be (spoiler coming!) on the inside. That means that if you design to bolster the power of a weapon there is a requirement that something be improved. While OOU we can say the writers just wanted to wank a ship for an ep, IU there has to be a reason.

[Atekimogus]

Yes, but no upgrade has ever shown anywhere near the power increase you're talking about. The Defiant has the highest single weapon's power increase that we've seen that didn't risk blowing up the ship and even then it was a 30% and it was still damaged the ship.

Well I meant more the general updates we see over the years, meaning every time they got a new warp core, or Geordi cranks efficiency up a few percent etc.. Obviously the ship (E-D) got more powerful over the years without spending much time refitting, hence my assumption that most major system like phasers have enough headroom to factor in such upgrades, but I see your point.

[Graham Kennedy]

Oh wow, I just found something really interesting on "The N'th Degree". I remembered something about transferring power around to increase phaser power so I checked it out and found this :

Riker : "We can't use photon torpedoes, an explosion this close could cripple us."
Worf : "Sir, recommend full phasers."
Picard : "Proceed."
Worf : "Firing phasers... no effect, Captain"
Data : "The probe's field intensity is continuing to build sir, we are in danger."
Riker : "Riker to LaForge. Can you increase phaser power?"
Geordi : "Attempting to now commander." [to Barclay] "Isolate phasers eighty to one twenty. Shunt all the plasma-"
Barclay "...to the emittors, yes sir, I'm already on it... ready."
Geordi "{to comm} Phasers are as hot as we can make them Captain."
Picard : "Mr Worf."
[Ship fires to no effect]
Riker : "Nothing."
Picard : "Go to warp 2."
Redshirt : "Aye Sir... warp 2."
Worf : "The probe is still with us, sir.
Riker : "At warp two?
Worf : "Yes sir.
Data : "Captain. The probe's energy output is overloading our shields. Failure anticipated in forty-seven seconds."
Picard : "I'm willing to entertain suggestions..."
Worf : "Captain! We are dropping to impulse."
Engineer : "Commander, warp power has been transferred to the shield grid."
Geordi : "Yeah, but by whom? [Looks at Barclay as he hits buttons] Barclay, what are you doing?"
Barclay : "Lieutenant Barclay to Captain Picard. You can fire photon torpedos. Maximum yield, full spread."
Riker : "We're too close."
Barclay : "I'm certain the shields will hold."
Picard : "Mr La Forge?"
Geordi : "I don't know how he did it, but shield strength has been increased by three hundred percent. It should be enough captain."
Picard : "Mister Worf. Photon torpedos. Maximum yield, full spread."
Worf : "Aye."
{The probe is destroyed]

Interestingly... transferring warp power to the shields only upped them by 3x.

The Enterprise-D has one hundred and twenty phasers. Really?!?!

Not quite sure what to make of this one.

[stitch626]

That may be referring to the individual phaser emitters in one of the arrays...

I hope.

[Sonic Glitch]

In light of this info on weapons, I'm reminded of something I recently read on memory alpha. I know one of the discussions we have around here once in a while is about the nature of quantum torpedoes. Apparently it's stated in DS9: "For the uniform" that quantum torpedos have a plasma warheads. Script

DAX
(overlapping)
Find her... steady as she goes...
watch those gyros... don't get
pulled into the magnetic
gradient... steady... come port
ten degrees... too much...
starboard five...

WORF
(overlapping)
Check status on torpedoes three
and four... getting an energy
variance reading on the plasma
warheads... transfer power from
the forward shields to the
targeting array... bring the
phaser banks up to half power...

KIRA
(overlapping)
Lateral scan... fifteen
megahertz... out to five hundred
kilometers... forward scanners
still not functioning... Engine
Room, where are those field
stabilizers?

[Victory is Life]

So if you plan to multiply the power output of the main phasers by 9x as Aki talked about you're going to have to refit more then just warp core.

True, but since we know of power upgrades yet never see phaser arrays switched, or Excelsiors replacing ball turrets with stripes etc. that leads me to believe that the bottleneck in the system is not the phaser emitter (the cannon itself if you will) but some other part which isn't seen from the outside and which could be any system, buffer etc. involved in the process between power generating and firing the phaser.

Maybe the emitter crystal, or the overload shield elements...

[Mark]

I guess that makes sense. You woun't want your "capacitor" exposed to enemy fire while its fully powered and ready to discharge. I could forsee some bad things happening.