Q&A · 56:10-57:24

Starfleet Command: firing arcs and shoot-and-withdraw tactics

Remembered differences between missile maneuvering and torpedo firing arcs support a launch-and-withdraw tactic.

Question

Are there missiles in Star Trek?

Short answer

Yes, in some of the books and games. The Starfleet Command example contrasts turning missiles with narrower torpedo firing arcs.

Notes

Star Trek's weapon names lead into Alex Clarke's recollection of Starfleet Command. In the game as he remembers it, torpedoes can reach targets within roughly forty-five degrees of their launcher, while missiles can turn toward a target elsewhere. He therefore favors missile-carrying ships that can launch and move away in a different direction. The opponent then faces the incoming weapons without the launching ship remaining in the same place to fight. Missile shuttles can join that attack in his account. These are remembered game mechanics and tactics, with the exact edition left uncertain.