From: pel@maximo.enet.dec.com (Phillip E lujan)
Subject: Re: Help needed with storyline ideas
Reply-To: pel@maximo.enet.dec.com (Phillip E lujan)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 22:22:48 GMT

In article <1993Jan6.121612.1@cc.uvcc.edu>, brownea@cc.uvcc.edu writes:
|>In article <1993Jan2.182827.1@ulkyvx.louisville.edu>, 
|>		jsmcgi01@ulkyvx.louisville.edu writes:
|>> Starfleet could have specially modified cyber-troops.  A non-Starfleet version
|>> was seen in a ST:TNG episode.
|>> These soldiers would probably have great musculature, endurance, memory, etc. 
|>> Greatly increased physical skills.  They would also have built in 'tronics to
|>> help them with their task at hand.
|>> Just a thought.
|>	IMO, doubtfull.  If so, it would need to come from a warfaring race who
|>decided to join starfleet.  I say this because Starfleet personell don't
|>participate in genetic engineering or electronic enhancement.

Hmm...  Time to jump in here with my $.02...

StarFleet itself, it is true, doesn't participate in genetic engineering.  The
primary reason for this is that people don't *join* StarFleet until they are
adults... a little late to be genetically engineered, you'll agree.  However,
in a number of the Star Trek novels, genetically engineered people show up -
Spock for one.  Also, Christopher Pike's First Officer (known as 'Number One')
comes from a human colony world where genetic engineering is the norm - she was
the best of her generation, hence 'Number One' was an appropriate appelation
for two reasons...

As for electronic enhancements, there don't seem to be too many of these (with
the exception of things like bionics to replace missing limbs, or perhaps
Geordie's VISOR).  And after the Borg contacts, there probably wouldn't be too 
much interest in them...

|>	And Starfleet doesn't seem interrested in allowing anybody join who
|>isn't (my phrase) 'mature enough' - the Klingons don't seem to be a part of the
|>federation yet.  I could be wrong...

True.  The Klingons are not part of the Federation... but that was their choice.
The Klingon High Council had no intention of giving up Klingon independence;
they just wanted to form an alliance against the Imperialist faction during
their civil war (circa 50 years before ST:TNG).  As for your being wrong...

Hey!  It happens to the best of us!  Cheer up!  (No flames here, just pointing
out some things...)

Now, for my suggestions...

1)  I would suggest that implant electronics are inappropriate, not really part
of the Star Trek genre.  However, there is nothing to prevent high tech command
and battle armor, along the lines of 'Starship Troopers'.

2)  There is some information available in FASA's ST:TNG supplement for ST:The
Roleplaying Game.  I seem to remember a crawler mounted shield generator and
a 'photon cannon' that fired mini-photons in a ballistic fashion.

3)  These troops would need lots of training - perhaps on *very* hostile planets,
asteroids, etc.  The training might form part of your story, maybe in flashbacks.

4)  Star Fleet Battles has a Federation Marines supplement out.  I know it's TOS
stuff, but it could help.

5)  Fire support from space could be accomplished by any ship in orbit; it could
also be accomplished by a stardock facility, specialized satellites, etc.

6)  (Am I done yet?)  Ground vehicles would probably not be armed very heavily;
tanks are deathtraps given ST technology.  Aerial assault vehicles might be a
possibility, though, with scaled down ship's phaser arrays and shield generators.

I'm about idea'd out here...  What do you think?

---------------------
Yes, I know what the From: line says, but I'm actually Sean Roberts...
Trekkie/lurker