Engage Reverse Thrusters!

posted on February 21st, 2010, 9:36 am

Hello,

Picture this:

A Phalanx, being chased by 3 Rhienns, chances are it can't take all 3 as it is running away and can't use the Mag-Can or its Pulses.

Is there a way, say if you hold shift and click behind the vessel, for it to reverse? instead of it simply turning around and losing all available fire power?

I think its more than possible 

The Defiant would be a beast again!

posted on February 21st, 2010, 9:39 am

For the Defiant this would be neat in my opinion, but for the Phalanx it honestly would make the already strong federation withdraws extremely dangerous and in my terms unbalanced to the opponent regarding the fact that Phalanx's have long range and Avalons are in those late fleets as well (which cover a withdraw extremely well). 

posted on February 21st, 2010, 10:55 am

we saw the scimitar reverse in nemesis, but it seemed like going backwards was a lot slower. so if other ships had reverse i would bet it would be incredibly slow, as the impulse engines are on the back.

posted on February 21st, 2010, 11:07 am

theoretically you could simply turn in space and still have the momentum, but trek physics dont like this idea^^

i would say that because nearly all of the impulse engines of federation ships are facing the bac of the ship, it oud be very inefficient to fly reverse.

posted on February 21st, 2010, 11:56 am

Of course the reverse rate would be extremely slow compared to the front thruster standard rate 

But, yeah I generally see it as solving a number of problems. Such as my big issue of the Defiant not having an aft phaser 

posted on February 21st, 2010, 12:19 pm

The title of the thread solves the problem clearly: "reverse thrusters". They are obviously located at the fore of the ship, and are few and considerably weaker than the aft-located impulse engines.

They are intended for docking manouvers or precision handling of the ship, not for propulsion. So they are not inefficient for moving the ship: they are brutally ill-fitted for that. They should provide about one hundredth acceleration compared to the impulse engines.

posted on February 21st, 2010, 12:24 pm

i would say that because nearly all of the impulse engines of federation ships are facing the bac of the ship, it oud be very inefficient to fly reverse.

We don't really know how Federation Engines would handle reverse. Considering the presence of things like Transporters and Warp Drive, I'd imagine the Impulse Engines could do an effective reverse. Didn't the Enterprise reverse in 1 episode? The one when Troi was taken by the Romulans.

Not like they'd need it, considering Starfleet ships can do a 180 degree turn almost on the spot in about 3 seconds.

[Dave Denton]

posted on February 21st, 2010, 1:02 pm

Last edited by Dave Denton on February 21st, 2010, 7:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Actually none of you listened to DNA. You could turn the ship gain momentum towards a direction axis that the unit / units are withdrawing, after you do this you simply rotate it back at the enemy so that it may be facing it, using the momentum gained earlier to fly in reverse. The impulse engines located aft won't be a problem at all.

posted on February 21st, 2010, 4:27 pm

well weither not trek physics support this or not the main problem would be the coding side of it and there simply is no code for this movement.

posted on February 21st, 2010, 4:38 pm

Oh man ... i promted the use of real physics fo manuver so often ... but Trekkies hate them. I regularly fail explainig them the beauy of realistic stuff like realistic maneuvers. The suggested maneuver is of course possible, and in principle there is no rule in startrek that forbids such prceedings. But the usual science fiction fan (which should rather be called fururistic phantasy fans) want to see ships have physics like the car they drive everyday. Thats a fact and you and me cannot change it.

Ever wondered why the ships alwys turn with the nose in direction of flight, the mein thrusters still on the back side? Yes its pretty aweful bullshit. Main thrusters should be oriented perpendicular to the direction of movement whe flying a circle, of course giving their thrust in direction of the center if the trajectory. But you won't do that with your car, and that is the reason it is not done in StarTrek too.

But no Trekkie will admit that his aesthetical view is unrealistic. There is a good reason why the carlike - or to be honest every unnatural od unexplainable - behaviour is completly logical. The magic word is subspace. Asking for any crazy things to work in StarTrek ... Subspace can do. In this case: Subspace fields make any side-thrusters obsolet (especially as there is not much ships momentum as the inertia damers reduce its mass heavils, there is no need for them any longer) ... then why are there the main impulse engines? ... well, if all sci-fi fails, there is still the main truster for propelling and then the discussed manuvers may happen in SarTrek.

Whas that what you needed to know?  :innocent:

posted on February 21st, 2010, 4:43 pm

Concerning coding: The orientation is not necessarily bound to the movement direction ... see the borg sphere. so you cold probably add a hardcoded method, that calculates the SOD's orientation from the current movement parameters. I believe one can have access to movement parameters of the ship, as the sovvoes special can. Crating a completly new method that is independent of other core functions might also be possible.

Still, i bet it will not happen.

posted on February 21st, 2010, 5:19 pm

Didn't the Enterprise go in reverse after ramming the Scimitar in Nemesis? 

In Star Trek VI, didn't the Enterprise stop and "back off" from the position of the cloaked Klingon ship near the end temporarily making them wonder if the Enterprise was able to detect their cloaked position?

posted on February 21st, 2010, 5:30 pm

I believe the Enterprise also reversed away from the Cytherian probe in 'The Nth Degree', although I haven't seen it for a while so I may be wrong...

posted on February 21st, 2010, 5:39 pm

I wouldn't want to see a reverse feature in FO. Making a ship only be able to fire forwards gives it a weakness even when it has very high shielding and firepower. Adding reverse would drastically scale down that weakness and could wreak havoc with balancing.

posted on February 21st, 2010, 5:42 pm

Actually, reverse would probably be a useless addition. They would get the target back into their firing arc slower than simply turning around.