Cryptic, why are there not planetary defense systems?
Where is the defense grids, system disruptors/phasers (Ref DS9). No defense satellites or defense platforms, nada. Not even so much as a mine field. (Yes I know there is a couple of missions but that is about it.)
How about some missions where we have to disable the defense net before we can beam down. Or navigate a minefield to reach the planet? Sure, there is a couple of missions where we have to rescue freighters from a minefield but come on, most freighters wouldn't be near a mine field.
There is a ton of mission possibilities that you could add just with the defensive systems alone. Add some to the exploration missions.
Things like gravitic sensors, listening posts, tachyon detection nets.
I always just assume that the planets with good defenses and such are not calling us and it is the "back water" places that are always needing ourt help for just that very reason... because they have no defenses.
You never know, though. The future may really be a fairly unfuturistic place.
For the most part I agree with the OP. When we go into a planetary system it should appear to be a living system. We should see satellites, defense grids, space stations, commerce freighters and other types of ships moving through the system, etc. Right now systems seem static and uninteresting.
Now I understand that we don't always see these things in the various ST series episodes either but lack of television special effects budget shouldn't be the reason given for why they don't exist in the canon. Every civilation with warp speed should have a bustling orbital system.
For the most part I agree with the OP. When we go into a planetary system it should appear to be a living system. We should see satellites, defense grids, space stations, commerce freighters and other types of ships moving through the system, etc. Right now systems seem static and uninteresting.
Now I understand that we don't always see these things in the various ST series episodes either but lack of television special effects budget shouldn't be the reason given for why they don't exist in the canon. Every civilation with warp speed should have a bustling orbital system.
An example would be in the TOS Episode Amok Time where the Enterprise contacts Vulcan Control for permission to orbit.
Cryptic, why are there not planetary defense systems?
Where is the defense grids, system disruptors/phasers (Ref DS9). No defense satellites or defense platforms, nada. Not even so much as a mine field. (Yes I know there is a couple of missions but that is about it.)
How about some missions where we have to disable the defense net before we can beam down. Or navigate a minefield to reach the planet? Sure, there is a couple of missions where we have to rescue freighters from a minefield but come on, most freighters wouldn't be near a mine field.
There is a ton of mission possibilities that you could add just with the defensive systems alone. Add some to the exploration missions.
Things like gravitic sensors, listening posts, tachyon detection nets.
I recall several planets in Cardassia space that has/had planetary defense turrets. Namely it was the trueway's. But there were several of them. Granted in the whole scheme of things, very low compared to the total of missions/exploration.
Heck.....why are all Federation installations lacking basic networks? Are they afraid of a Cylon attack?
Half the ground missions (actually 80%) could be fixed with a IT BOFF, a pack of wires and a hub...........
IT Officer
These officers keep Starfleet's ODNs and vast distributed computing networks running. Their Klingon counterparts lack the technological training to be their equal, and so are derisively called 'Skript Klinkies' by Starfleet IT (though never to their face; Klingon IT is something to fear, because Klingons do not release software; it escapes, leaving a bloody trail behind it. Also Klingon Help Desk (KHD) does NOT help you in the way you might think.) IT Officers use the power of their starship's computers to engage the enemy and solve problems. Just don't ask them to fix your padd....
Learned Abilities
Lieutenant I -- BSOff -- Causes any holographic enemy to hard-crash, singing 'Daisy, Daisy.' ("Suck it, Holographic Galor!") At higher levels, holographic enemies have increasing resistance to this power. (Most notably the Omega Space Penguin of Torvalds IV.) (Space)
Lieutenant II -- Hollywood Hack -- The officer uses their tricorder and an awesome-looking GUI to make the enemy think he's haxxors teir boxxors. Enemies must take 3 seconds to strengthen their informational defenses and run Iconiansoft Gateways XP(tm) Update. On the downside, when done, all subsequent IT attack attempts against that enemy have their chance to succeed halved. (Ground)
Lt. Commander I -- Im In Ur ODN... -- Allows the IT Officer cause one enemy Special Ability to fail. The enemy procedes to curse up a storm and has to spend five seconds slamming the device against a hard surface, trying to get it to work. In space, this is shown by the ship repeatedly ramming an asteroid. The profanity filter affects this power.(Space)
Lt. Commander II -- ...HaXX0rin Ur D00ds. -- Same as IIUO except for ground combat (Ground)
Commander I -- Where Do You Want To Go Today? -- Causes the enemy's warp core to BSOD, making it warp to a random system in the sector block. "Hey, where did that Scimitar DN come from?" "I thought this was a Scan All mission!" (Space)
Commander II -- BOffFH -- Turns any one of yourBOffs (or yourself) into a raging hellbeast who deletes accounts left and right, uses isolinear chips for confetti, erases all backups, records Level 7 Starfleet Communications for fun and profit, and rigs the captain's lavatory to transmit the image straight to the bridge main viewscreen. Before the inevitable court-martial, the ******* Officer From Hell (BOffFH) is set loose on the enemy like a tribble at a bat'leth tournament. Cover the childrens' eyes, first.
Nobody's gotten an IT Officer past Commander 8 to see what the Captain and Admiral abilities are.
Comments
Half the ground missions (actually 80%) could be fixed with a IT BOFF, a pack of wires and a hub...........
but it would be nice to have to disable a space station or security net before beaming down.
I always just assume that the planets with good defenses and such are not calling us and it is the "back water" places that are always needing ourt help for just that very reason... because they have no defenses.
You never know, though. The future may really be a fairly unfuturistic place.
Isn't "Planetary Defense as required" included as part of a Captain's job description?
Good suggestions with this post!
Now I understand that we don't always see these things in the various ST series episodes either but lack of television special effects budget shouldn't be the reason given for why they don't exist in the canon. Every civilation with warp speed should have a bustling orbital system.
An example would be in the TOS Episode Amok Time where the Enterprise contacts Vulcan Control for permission to orbit.
I recall several planets in Cardassia space that has/had planetary defense turrets. Namely it was the trueway's. But there were several of them. Granted in the whole scheme of things, very low compared to the total of missions/exploration.
IT Officer
These officers keep Starfleet's ODNs and vast distributed computing networks running. Their Klingon counterparts lack the technological training to be their equal, and so are derisively called 'Skript Klinkies' by Starfleet IT (though never to their face; Klingon IT is something to fear, because Klingons do not release software; it escapes, leaving a bloody trail behind it. Also Klingon Help Desk (KHD) does NOT help you in the way you might think.) IT Officers use the power of their starship's computers to engage the enemy and solve problems. Just don't ask them to fix your padd....
Learned Abilities
Lieutenant I -- BSOff -- Causes any holographic enemy to hard-crash, singing 'Daisy, Daisy.' ("Suck it, Holographic Galor!") At higher levels, holographic enemies have increasing resistance to this power. (Most notably the Omega Space Penguin of Torvalds IV.) (Space)
Lieutenant II -- Hollywood Hack -- The officer uses their tricorder and an awesome-looking GUI to make the enemy think he's haxxors teir boxxors. Enemies must take 3 seconds to strengthen their informational defenses and run Iconiansoft Gateways XP(tm) Update. On the downside, when done, all subsequent IT attack attempts against that enemy have their chance to succeed halved. (Ground)
Lt. Commander I -- Im In Ur ODN... -- Allows the IT Officer cause one enemy Special Ability to fail. The enemy procedes to curse up a storm and has to spend five seconds slamming the device against a hard surface, trying to get it to work. In space, this is shown by the ship repeatedly ramming an asteroid. The profanity filter affects this power.(Space)
Lt. Commander II -- ...HaXX0rin Ur D00ds. -- Same as IIUO except for ground combat (Ground)
Commander I -- Where Do You Want To Go Today? -- Causes the enemy's warp core to BSOD, making it warp to a random system in the sector block. "Hey, where did that Scimitar DN come from?" "I thought this was a Scan All mission!" (Space)
Commander II -- BOffFH -- Turns any one of yourBOffs (or yourself) into a raging hellbeast who deletes accounts left and right, uses isolinear chips for confetti, erases all backups, records Level 7 Starfleet Communications for fun and profit, and rigs the captain's lavatory to transmit the image straight to the bridge main viewscreen. Before the inevitable court-martial, the ******* Officer From Hell (BOffFH) is set loose on the enemy like a tribble at a bat'leth tournament. Cover the childrens' eyes, first.
Nobody's gotten an IT Officer past Commander 8 to see what the Captain and Admiral abilities are.
Edit: Formatting fail!