posted
I've reviewed a screenshot and they are dimly lit as are the impluse deflection crystals on the bottom of the saucers (and those were never lit as well). I would still not call them a part of an upgrade though. I would think they could be lit at any time since lit or not, they still perform the same function. Now, the impulse engines in the pod I would call an upgrade or subclass.
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Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
On the Reliant the impulse dome on the bottom had a formation light on it, if thats of any consequence to them being lit now.
Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
I'd think it's arefit and not a variant: for whatever reason, the Miranda's rear launchers now glow.
Consider the extreme folly at replacing the launchers with impulse engines: the rear launchers are a Miranda's only aft firing weapons. (the "rollbar" does not seen to have aft emitters and the DS9 Mirandas never used the rollbar phasers at all)
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Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
But are the functional in DS9's era? We've seen a lot of other weird shit from those old ships: like K'Tingas with big disruprors firing from hat was the forward torp tube.
Eliminating the rear torpedo launchers still cuts down the rear coverage by 50% so it's kinda a dumb move when going into battle to reduce your ability to fire...
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Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
OTOH, it's fairly common in the real world. Many a ship has ended up with fewer gun mounts than she originally had. Ships built around big and expensive weapon systems may have the systems removed when they become obsolete, leaving a gutted hulk that nevertheless is tactically worth the while.
Given how few torpedoes we saw in the Dominion war, and how generally inefficient they appeared to be (except against the Klingons), I could easily see a Miranda captain begging "please remove my torp launcher and give me better impulse maneuverability instead"...
posted
Not that those supposed extra impulse engines helped the Sitak or Majestic any.
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Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
That, or the ship never had aft torp. launchers at all. Perhaps she was just a transport/science ship, pulled into combat service?
Also, the term "impulse maneuverability" doesn't make much sense to me, as manueverability comes from thrusters and what-not. Impulse/warp drives are for speed only, yes? Impulse exhaust vents are stationary.
Should I accept the on-screen evidence, then this is a different Miranda variant. If I dismiss this as a VFX f**k-up, we're exactly where we were before the discussion ever arose. I'm leaning towards the later.
Keeping in mind that there is no *correct* answer here, just opinion...
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Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
Well, it depends on what kind of VFX problem it is. As far as I know, there needs to be something there to apply a glow too to make a glow, so if the torpedo launchers were there, we'd likely still see them through the glow (since the screen shots Ive seen don't make it look like its very powerful a glow)
But then, I don't know how Lightwave handles those things.
Registered: Mar 2004
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The extra impulse engines could provide extra forward thrust aiding both the regular impulse engines and aft thrusters. As for evasive maneuvers, those extra engines probably contain driver coils that can help reduce the ship's mass even further so that the thrusters don't need to fire as much to move the ship in other directions.
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Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
Or they were just testing out upgraded torpedos on the century-old systems of the Miranda class and it produced a glow.... From a strictly design POV, I'd have added new Impulse Engines where the old shuttlebays are and an aft phaser bank or rear launcher where the old impulse engines were.
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Registered: Aug 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Chris W.: Should I accept the on-screen evidence, then this is a different Miranda variant. If I dismiss this as a VFX f**k-up, we're exactly where we were before the discussion ever arose. I'm leaning towards the later.
2) Why the hell are you so insistant on this being some variant?? Let it be what you want it to be, you don't need our approval for it to be a variant in your mind...
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Registered: Jan 2003
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Registered: Aug 2002
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