<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by greatone2002:
<font color=yellow>I was actually thinking the opposite. True shied techology is nice and all but the Star Trek races lack armor, they rely way to much on there shields for protection, once shields are down one hit usually takes them out. I'd rather have armor any day, they're shield simply assorbs weapons till they cant no more, Were as armor can stop many hits without loosing integrity. Plus B5 weapons are much stronger then they're weapons. Star wars at least the Empire (or republic) i think is pretty much the equivelent of any B5 races except is much bigger, probely around the size the Centauri used to be.</font color=yellow><hr></blockquote>
In TOS, the old Enterprise took a nuke on the hull, without shields, and starting with the Defiant on DS9, armor has been added.
Phasers have many more uses than lasers and particle beams, and likely longer range, as the TNG TM mentions lightminutes, as opposed to thousands of kilometers range.
Photorps have long ranges, and antimatter warheads. Then there's quantum torpedoes, multi-lightyear sensor arrays, the damage-reducing effect of the subspace field, dilithium-focussed antimatter power sources, cloaking devices, and, most of all, the dreaded power of Treknobabble (tm)! "Lessee, hmmm, if I alter the phase variance of the chroniton modulation of the vibratory sequence of our phasers....ok, Captain, that should do it".
Or beam Marines to the opposing ships. No shields, no transporter block. The only problem they might have would be swarming fighters - no apparent point defense.
I think only Vorlons and Shadows could stand up to ST ships, especially the more combat-oriented DS9 era ones. Even Minbari would fall before Sisko, although maybe not Kirk, and certainly Picard would have trouble actually fighting them, though not for want of military technology.
An analogy - PRC Destroyers are built using 1960's tech, and bristle with guns and rockets, but US Destroyers, especially the newer Arleigh Burkes, have far fewer weapons. Ours are much more sophisticated, more accurate, and have longer range. 1 AB could take out a half-dozen of theirs in a stand-off fight, without letting them get close enough to even shoot at us. They look fearsome, and up close, it would be a more even fight, but what captain is going to close when he can wipe 'em out from a safe range? Similarly, B5 ships, especially EA ships, have lots of weapons, but they've always been shown using them close in, and their most powerful is a nuclear mine. Piddly, compared to photorps alone.
IMO, SW ships can beat anything below the Minbari, although I can't decide if they match the Minbari or not. Part of their competiteveness is size, partly tech, although in SW, they seem to understand hyperspace somewhat less.
Now, as to hyperspace, there isn't a lot to go on, but I've thought this out for use in RPGs, and here's how I figure it. ST ships enfold the ship in a bubble of hyperspace, called the subspace field, thus bringing hyperspace into realspace. B5 and SW jump into hyperspace, but know their way, and can jump in and out as desired. B5 seems to have a better understanding than SW, although SW can create much smaller jump-capable craft than B5. Traveller requires a lot of calulation, then the jump, which cannot safely be altered after it's started. I assume that these all access the same hyperspace, in different degrees of sophistication, so an ST ship can see anybody in hyperspace or realspace, B5 ships can see anybody in the space their in, plus whatever the beacons relay to them about the other space. SW ships can't do that, nor can Traveller vesselsSo an Omega could catch a Beowulf (Traveller) in hyperspace, but the Impie SDs couldn't, and of course the Beowulf couldn't turn the tables on either. A Soveriegn (ST) could do it, but not as easily, since it's partly not there, but none of the others could sneak up on it.
Just my NSHO,