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Why aren't the borg engines symmetrical?

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
All the Starfleet ships are bilateral, and all the borg ships are symmetrical. So how did we end up with 1 nacelle having an "assimilated whale crawler" on it and 1 engine (relevant point when there are more then one engines on the ship, such as the Prometheus) showing assimilated tech while giving off the green trail?

This is what I'm talking about.
http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h314/Dahm_photos/borg-2.jpg

And just to take this a bit further...the rest of the borg tech appears bilateral, even the aegis set follows this trend. Not sure if this is intended, an oversight, or just me :p

Oh and another point further then the last, I am not an expert at all when it comes to space travel, (I would say I'm way lower then an amateur). But wouldn't an engine that is putting out way more energy then its "brother" engine, cause the ship to veer off to weaker engine's side? I am not sure if gravity is the cause of this, but I would think that it has nothing to do with it.

(The "brother engine" is the unassimilated engine that is producing less power then the assimilated one. No idea what the engine should be called, but brother gets the point across).

Final thoughts...
I know that you can turn the visuals off, no need to remind me :D
I am a sucker for symmetry, all men can relate to this...I'll leave this here to prove the point
( 0 Y o) or ( o Y o ) Hope that isn't against tos on the forums :o
The assimilated whale crawler nacelle thing doesn't bug me, its the fact that it isn't on any other nacelle that does. Also, if the nacelle part was removed and both engines just had the little assimilated tech on it plus the green trails, that would be fine. Actually it would be pretty damn awesome.

Thanks for reading :p
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    BTW, sorry for the poor quality pic, at least it shows what I need it to show though.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Oh, it's because the whatnotgizmo is made from technobabblite and technobabblite respons badly to the presents of yaddadoodle reactors. Really.

    Probably because some ships may have only one "engine port" - I dunno.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    I have seen the green coloring of the nacelles on multiple nacelles so this is an interesting question. I think to be honest, that it looks more haphazardly assimilated when it's a-symmetrical .

    Is'nt the assimilated freighter from enterprise a-symmetrical?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    in fact thats one of the things i wondered..why only 1 impulse engine? why only 1 warp nacelle???


    I had assumed a secondary borg kit would come out..but doesnt look like it......

    I would much more prefer a symmetrical layout....that way i wouldnt forever have the visuals turned off..not a big fan of wonky ships
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Symmetry is irrelevant. Balance is futile.

    Gym "Just to get that out of the way..." Quirk
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Borg assimilation doesn't seem to be a very symmetrical process. They upgrade what is required. One arm. One eye. One impulse engine. One warp nacelle.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Gym_Quirk wrote:
    Symmetry is irrelevant. Balance is futile.

    Gym "Just to get that out of the way..." Quirk

    But all borg ships are symmetrical...it must be relevant. I think Data said something as to why this is or would be.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Because having large cubes on our nacelles would be ugly.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    And why are they still green?
    I mean, can't I paint my assimilated stuff a better color?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    When the borg assimilated the Arctic expedition vessel in Enterprise, it was not assimilated in a symmetrical fashion, but as the assimilation went on throughout the episode, a cube shaped structure gradually appeared on the vessel.

    It was suggested by the fx artist that had the ship been left alone, it would have eventually formed into a borg cube. Albiet small at first.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    It's probably more efficient that way. If all the energy is produced by just one assimilated nacelle then it can likely just feed energy to its neighbour(s).
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Ships are symmetrical and often the same dimensions on all sides because those are the most energy efficient shapes to support using whatever fields and wiring you have.

    The Assimilated Engine is different in 2 ways:
    1: We have no idea from where this engine came from a borg ship, it could have been part of a larger array.

    2: We already know that a lot of Borg tech on Starfleet ships tends to be McGyver'ed on the first place, so its probably a method of convenience rather than having to build a new engine housing. Also, perhaps if you earn the engine twice they can crafted into a symmetrical set? ;)
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    It's Borg tech, not Borg assimilation. We don't have drones in mechanic overalls at ESD changing oil and BSing about how fast the Delta Flyer can go from 0 - 2000kph. It's as good as we can get it. Weren't the KDF ships in The Cure symmetrically assimilated?

    Besides, if the Borg were doing the mods on our ships we'd be flying around crashing parties and whipping out our tubules every chance we got and rambling on about how our new cult is THE BOMBZ!! and how everyone should join, no really everyone should join, seriously everyone MUST join...

    It'd be a total drag. Asymmetrical is fine.


    Z
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Acceleron wrote:
    But all borg ships are symmetrical...it must be relevant. I think Data said something as to why this is or would be.
    hohum... The direct comparison of an assimilated Federation vessel comes from Enterprise(Regeneration).

    This one.
    And it was enhanced mainly on just one side.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    zordar wrote: »
    It's Borg tech, not Borg assimilation. We don't have drones in mechanic overalls at ESD changing oil and BSing about how fast the Delta Flyer can go from 0 - 2000kph. It's as good as we can get it. Weren't the KDF ships in The Cure symmetrically assimilated?

    Besides, if the Borg were doing the mods on our ships we'd be flying around crashing parties and whipping out our tubules every chance we got and rambling on about how our new cult is THE BOMBZ!! and how everyone should join, no really everyone should join, seriously everyone MUST join...

    It'd be a total drag. Asymmetrical is fine.


    Z

    Fair point. but the dish, shields, and console are symmetric. So...why not the engines?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Borg assimilation doesn't seem to be a very symmetrical process. They upgrade what is required. One arm. One eye. One impulse engine. One warp nacelle.

    Pretty much.

    I perfer the haphazard look to the borg set because it makes you ship look like its been partially assimilated. It looks like similar to the upgrades performed on voyager just "kicked up to 11". Their are plenty of examples of ships that have been assimilated with asymmetrical designs.

    The Arctic One, Revan Rogue Borg Ship , and the partial assimilated Voyager are all good examples of non symmetrical borg design and I think tats what the devs were going after the most.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    This is 1 of my pet hates, really annoys me that the borg engines are like this, I was hoping that once you got all the parts fitted it might make it look abit more complete.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Chat wrote:
    hohum... The direct comparison of an assimilated Federation vessel comes from Enterprise(Regeneration).

    This one.
    And it was enhanced mainly on just one side.

    but further down the article you referred to it says it would have eventually turned into a cube
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Adding borg tech to your ship is essentially making it a kitbash. Its not symmetrical for that reason.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    but further down the article you referred to it says it would have eventually turned into a cube

    I just bloody said that! lol No one listens to me.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    but further down the article you referred to it says it would have eventually turned into a cube

    Actually, a sphere. And that would happen if they got the resources to 'feed' the assimilation of the ship further along. On a starfleet ship, the tech isn't alive, its just welded on wreckage, so it won't grow into a symmetrical shape like natural.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    because quantum!!!!!
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Acceleron wrote:
    Fair point. but the dish, shields, and console are symmetric. So...why not the engines?

    We can't really judge from the dish and shields as there's only one per ship (and the science ships' extra dish isn't a navigational deflector, IIRC). The console is really the only piece that's remotely symmetrical, and even those aren't in the exact same positions on both sides. Even if they were it's not actually proving anything. It's just the way the devs made it look.

    The closer we look at the visual mods the gear sets bring to our ships the more we'll find "wrong" with them. I seriously doubt they were designed to pass close Treknerd scrutiny. Some of the mods show major structural changes that would take weeks in space dock to complete. Thankfully we don't have to endure that kind of realism. I think the gear mods are mainly for the coolness factor, not to achieve any kind of logic in-genre or in-game (I mean, the Borg engines put what looks like a giant mechanical pill bug on one of our nacelles. WTH is that about?). As always, your mileage may vary.


    Z
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Surprised no one touched on the one engine in "overclocked" mode while the other stays the same
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    zordar wrote: »
    We can't really judge from the dish and shields as there's only one per ship (and the science ships' extra dish isn't a navigational deflector, IIRC). The console is really the only piece that's remotely symmetrical, and even those aren't in the exact same positions on both sides. Even if they were it's not actually proving anything. It's just the way the devs made it look.

    Z

    The pattern that appears when the shield or console is equipped shows a bilateral pattern though, The dish looks quite bilateral as well. It really is just the engines that are out of the norm.

    (I was going to say it looked like a more cylindrical horseshoe crab, but w/e :p )
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    The Borg accessories are made to resemble the way Voyager was modified when it had Borg tech installed. It's purposely made to be asymmetrical for this reason alone.

    :cool:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Are there above view shots? and shots from the other side?
    I'm interested :D
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Acceleron wrote:
    Are there above view shots? and shots from the other side?
    I'm interested :D

    Not that I can find. Most of the pics that come up when I Google "Voyager Borg Tech" are actually shots of Jeri Ryan. I guess people aren't as interested in the ship as they are in her. ;)

    :cool:
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Coz its kewl, nuf sad.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited March 2011
    Acceleron wrote:
    Are there above view shots? and shots from the other side?
    I'm interested :D

    Rear view.

    It's from Voyager: "Scorpion, Part II".
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