Phaser Settings Table (and What's Wrong With It)

[WaveMan]

Federation technology did include several personal Force Field type devices, the Arm Shield (109 Players Guide) and the Portable Force Field Generator (page 105 The Price of Freedom) for example, so the technology isn't unprecedented. I agree that you will inevitably begin a "escalation of force" and as TTK describes there are enterprising ways around Force Fields other then just over loading them with phaser fire. Also once phasers became less then optimal in any game I played in, players invariably switched to melee weapons (as Worf showed when fighting the Borg and using his Mek'Leth, or my favorite character, an Andorian Trachka dual wielding his Chaka using Chaka Hramdal style being a monster on the battle field). Phasers are also susceptible to Dampening fields, negating their use. Hence the TR-116 rifle being developed...
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/TR-116_rifle

The ultimate progression would be a Borg style regenerative/adaptive shield design or some sort of personal Powered/Mechanized Battle Armour (that is shield equipped), but that is way out side of the bounds of what Star Trek usually portrays. TTK is also right in questioning the validity of regular Star Trek characters possessing or being issued with such devices like this. I would personally only allow Federation Marine, MACO or Hazard teams, Federation/Andorian Trachka [page 9 StarFleet Security Handbook], Federation Ranger units [page 3 StarFleet Security Handbook] or Federation Rapid Response Teams [page 3 StarFleet Security Handbook] to be issued with such devices.

I would also suggest you look into a suit called the Hazard suit (and Hazard teams), it is non cannon but still well with in the bounds of Federation Technology to develop and something I think would be a natural progression. Cannon is OK but IMHO it is when one steps outside of cannon that one truly starts to encounter the extraordinary.

http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Hazard_suit

A Hazard suit equipped with a regenerative/adaptive force field would be a kick ass suit, suitable for any type of front line Federation MACO soldier.

[Dan Gurden]

Ｏｎｅ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｐｒｏｂｌｅｍｓ　ｗｉｔｈ ICON is indeed the lethality of combat. Ｐａｒｔｌｙ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｉｓ　ｄｕｅ　ｔｏ　ｔｈｅ　ｉｎｈｅｒｉｔｅｄ　ｐｈａｓｅｒ　ｔａｂｌｅ　ａ ｎｄ　ｔｒｙｉｎｇ　ｔｏ　ｆｉｔ　ｒｕｌｅｓ　ａｒｏｕｎｄ　ｉｔ，　ｂｕｔ　ａｌｓｏ　ａ　ｆｏｃｕｓ 　ｏｎ　ａ　Ｓｔａｒｆｌｅｅｔ　ｓｅｔｔｉｎｇ　ｗｈｅｒｅ　ｍｏｓｔ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｉｍｅ　ｔｈｅ 　ｃｒｅｗ　ａｒｅ　ｌｉｋｅｌｙ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｕｎｄｅｒ　ｏｒｄｅｒｓ　ｔｏ　ｕｓｅ　Ｓｔｕｎ　Ｓｅ ｔｔｉｎｇ．　Although this doesn't address the issue that the opponants of this setting are not.

Ｂｕｔ　ｔｈｅ　ｌｅｔｈａｌｉｔｙ　ｏｆ　ｃｏｍｂａｔ　ｉｓ　（Ｉ　ｓｕｐｐｏｓｅ）　ｕｓｅｄ　ａｓ 　ａ　ｍｅｃｈａｎｉｃ　ｔｏ　ｆｏｒｃｅ　ｐｌａｙｅｒｓ　ｔｏ　ｓｅｅｋ　ｐｅａｃｅｆｕｌ　ｒｓｏｌ ｕｔｉｏｎ　ｆｉｒｓｔ．

Ｉ　ａｍ　ｓｕｒｅ　ｔｈａｔ　ｗｅ　ａｌｌ　ｋｎｏｗ　ｔｈａｔ　ｔｈｉｓ　ｄｏｅｓｎ＇ｔ　ｒｅａｌｌ ｙ　ｈａｐｐｅｎ　ａｌｌ　ｔｈｅ　ｔｉｍｅ．

Ｙｏｕｒ　ｒｅｖｉｓｅｄ　ｔａｂｌｅ　ｉｓ　ｇｏｏｄ． ｂｕｔ　ｐｅｒｈａｐｓ　ＴＤＫ＇ｓ　ｍｏｒｅ　ｓｔｒｅａｍｌｉｎｅｄ　ｖｅｒｓｉｏｎ　ｗｉｔｈ　ａ　 ｎａｒｒａｔｏｒｓ　ｅｙｅ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　ｄｅｓｃｒｉｐｔｉｏｎｓ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｓｅｔｔｉｎｇ　ｍ ａｙ　ｂｅ　ｂｅｔｔｅｒ，　ｔｈｉｓ　ｒｅａｌｌｙ　ｎｅｅｄｓ　ｔｏ　ｂｅ　ｓｍｏｔｈ　ａｎｄ　ｃｉ ｎｅｍａｔｉｃ．　And as such reality should take a back seat.

[Owen E Oulton]

The real solution to the problem is to just adhere to Trek's basic philosophy, and avoid violence when possible. The lethality of phasers is a part of Star Trek. When you start a phaser fight, someone is going to be disintegrated, unless people have the sense to keep their weapons on Stun.