Veskaland
04-04-2005, 05:50
Shields
The primary source of defence for a starship is its shields. The shields form a semi form-fitting energy shell around the whole of the starship that has properties of both a semi-permeable solid and energy absorptive screen. This dual nature of the shield system provides protection from most physical impacts as well as from energy discharges such as the destructive energy of a phaser or the deadly radiation emitted from a star. This energy shell emits through a network of six energy dispersal grids embedded in the hull. Power from the ship’s reactors is converted to the proper format by the shield generators aboard the ship, and routed to the shield grids. It takes two seconds for the grid to fully activate, at which point it emanates its energy field. Activating the shield generator creates an apparently contiguous energy shell, though in actuality it is six individual shields. These six shields, known as shield facings, protect the fore, aft, port, starboard, dorsal and ventral parts of the ship respectively. This does not necessarily mean that weapons fire coming from a particular direction will hit only one specific shield facing. Because space is three dimensional, often three or more shield facings can be struck from a given angle. Depending upon the design of the ship, the different shield grids are capable of generating shield s of different strengths, meaning that though two shield facings are at one hundred percent one may be capable of absorbing more damage than the other. The forward shield facing is typically strongest, Kalzon vessels tend to follow a pattern of forward being strongest, aft the next strongest, port and starboard next. The Federation on the other hand tend to make the forward shield facing strongest and then all the others of equal strength. The pattern of shield strength typically follows the degree of aggressiveness in a given ships design. More aggressive designs tend to concentrate strength in specific shield facings, while more defensive designs keep things more evenly distributed.
Damage inflicted on a shield is absorbed, though it weakens the cohesion of the energy field , which reduces its capacity to absorb further damage. Once this field begins to weaken it will begin its natural process of returning to its coherent state or “recharging” slowly restoring its ability to protect. Once a shield has lost cohesion, it takes ten seconds for the grid energy to reconstruct the initial framework of the shield facing. Once this occurs, the shield facing will recharge as normal.
The energy absorption property of the shields is highly efficient. Energy impacts, such as phasers/lasers and disruptors are fully absorbed. The same cannot be said for the semi-permeable solid property of the shields. Physical impacts and explosions are mostly deflected or absorbed, but some destructive energy still makes it through, regardless of the shield strength or reinforcement status of a shield. This is known as “Bleed Through”. Additionally functioning shield facings can completely deflect all radiation.
The primary source of defence for a starship is its shields. The shields form a semi form-fitting energy shell around the whole of the starship that has properties of both a semi-permeable solid and energy absorptive screen. This dual nature of the shield system provides protection from most physical impacts as well as from energy discharges such as the destructive energy of a phaser or the deadly radiation emitted from a star. This energy shell emits through a network of six energy dispersal grids embedded in the hull. Power from the ship’s reactors is converted to the proper format by the shield generators aboard the ship, and routed to the shield grids. It takes two seconds for the grid to fully activate, at which point it emanates its energy field. Activating the shield generator creates an apparently contiguous energy shell, though in actuality it is six individual shields. These six shields, known as shield facings, protect the fore, aft, port, starboard, dorsal and ventral parts of the ship respectively. This does not necessarily mean that weapons fire coming from a particular direction will hit only one specific shield facing. Because space is three dimensional, often three or more shield facings can be struck from a given angle. Depending upon the design of the ship, the different shield grids are capable of generating shield s of different strengths, meaning that though two shield facings are at one hundred percent one may be capable of absorbing more damage than the other. The forward shield facing is typically strongest, Kalzon vessels tend to follow a pattern of forward being strongest, aft the next strongest, port and starboard next. The Federation on the other hand tend to make the forward shield facing strongest and then all the others of equal strength. The pattern of shield strength typically follows the degree of aggressiveness in a given ships design. More aggressive designs tend to concentrate strength in specific shield facings, while more defensive designs keep things more evenly distributed.
Damage inflicted on a shield is absorbed, though it weakens the cohesion of the energy field , which reduces its capacity to absorb further damage. Once this field begins to weaken it will begin its natural process of returning to its coherent state or “recharging” slowly restoring its ability to protect. Once a shield has lost cohesion, it takes ten seconds for the grid energy to reconstruct the initial framework of the shield facing. Once this occurs, the shield facing will recharge as normal.
The energy absorption property of the shields is highly efficient. Energy impacts, such as phasers/lasers and disruptors are fully absorbed. The same cannot be said for the semi-permeable solid property of the shields. Physical impacts and explosions are mostly deflected or absorbed, but some destructive energy still makes it through, regardless of the shield strength or reinforcement status of a shield. This is known as “Bleed Through”. Additionally functioning shield facings can completely deflect all radiation.