General Order 32

[The Viper NZ]

Hi all,

General Order 32 of StarFleet states:

"Except in the case of an extreme emergency, no Starfleet commander is authorized to order his ship to travel faster than Warp Factor Five without express permission from Starfleet Command."

Does this apply all the time? Why do they produces engines capable of Warp 6+ cruise speeds if they hardly ever use them?

Slightly confused,

The Viper

[Phantom]

This came about from a really silly story about warp travel "polluting" subspace. I have totally ignored it.

[Assassin]

This speed-limit was invented after one TNG-episode with some subspace-rips in a narrow passage through some nebula or other space-obstacles.
The starfleet-scientist found out that these subspace-rifts could occure everywhere when flying with speeds greater warp 5.
So the used this speed-limit.

Even in following TNG and especially in DS9 and VOY Episodes this was continually forgotten and ignored.

So the most common theorie is that starfleet managed to modify the engines to prevent the pollution of subspace and so let them ignore the warp 5 speed limit.

That's all

[qerlin]

Originally posted by Phantom
This came about from a really silly story about warp travel "polluting" subspace. I have totally ignored it.

I don't use it either, but instead of ignoring it, I decided the data was flawed -- due to the neurosis of the scientist involved. The 24th C equivalent of the environmentalists are screaming about the end of the galaxy (holes in subspace!) but Starfleet ignored the warp 5 limit after the beginning of the DW and not conflicting data has convinced them not to reimpose the speed limit.

But that's our campaign...

[redwood973]

I remember something about the nacelle design on the Intrepid-class allowing faster than W.F. 5 travel. . .at least for that class anyway.

I believe it was mentioned in the first ST:Voy show, and perhaps mentioned in one of the LUG books (I think).

[Phantom]

Nah, just invent the 24th C version of the catalytic converter and everythig is solved.

[KillerWhale]

I think semi-canon sources (the encyclopedia?) state that newest warp nacelles like the Sovereign's are "subspace-friendly" and don't cause damage to it, hence allowing for faster travel. That's what I go with in my campaign

[Sho-sa Kurita]

found out that these subspace-rifts could occur everywhere when flying with speeds greater warp 5.

For the sake of accuracy, the affect was due to cumulative "wear" regardless of warp speed. Greater warp speeds just sped the process along. Starfleet imposed the warp 5 limit as a compromise since completely stopping the use of warp would cause the collapse of intergalactic civilization.

[Sho-sa Kurita]

Originally posted by Phantom
This came about from a really silly story about warp travel "polluting" subspace. I have totally ignored it.

Yeah, cause Star Trek should never comment on current issues affecting our entire planet.

Anyway, I don't believe it was explicitly stated in Voyager, but I always felt the variable geometry warp nacelles were part of a design which allowed the reshaping of the warp bubble so that the degrading effect was minimized or eliminated altogether.

As for the order being mostly ignored in later shows, I think it can fairly be said that the Ent-D and Defiant were often operating under emergency conditions, so they fulfilled the criterion to break the limit.

I'd say it's safe to say GO32 doesn't apply to ships either built after a certain date or with retrofitted nacelles (not that we've ever heard of anything like that).

[Darth Sarcastic]

I thought General Order 32 was "...don't take your dog down on away missions as Starfleet frowns upon urine related intergalactic interests..."

There used to be a time when Star Trek covered "real-world" issues...but they can't now. It would lead to a law suit from the Star Wars folks about stealing story-lines from Episodes 1-3. Besides doesn't Enterprise take place after WW3?

[GnarleyWoodsman]

The newer ships have new warp field geometry that does not harm the fabric of subspace. The older vessles already in service received a refit allowing for their nacells to be subspace friendly aswell.

This was apparent during the last few seasons of DS9 where(if you looked closely) you could see added superstructure on the Galaxy class nacells.

This is conjecture for the most part, but would seem to fit seeing how the fleet had been moving at high speed to rebuke the Klingon assault on DS9. The script notes speak about uprated an uprated Galaxy class starship leading the fleet. The USS Venture. (Way of the Warrior Pt. II)

The nacell additions were taken from the Future Enterprise model. On that model the additions were phaser emmiters according to studio drawings.

[Dan Gurden]

Personally, based in a game aboard a refitted Galaxy Class,

As far as my concerns as Ref go, General Order 32 still applies. After all, my warp travel times run at the speed of plot and can be inconsistant rather like the last 30 odd years of Trek.

Beside, General Order 32 also states;

"Except in the case of an extreme emergency"

And the chances are that we are not Roleplaying the boring months where the ship travels at Warp 5, but rather those exciting interludes where 'extreme emergency's' are easy to define...

So at the end of the day, as far as I am concerned the General Order poses absolutely no threat to my game balance, and is just there for flavour (and for catching ensigns out when they get Bridge Duty)...

[Phantom]

Originally posted by Sho-sa Kurita
Yeah, cause Star Trek should never comment on current issues affecting our entire planet.

My comment was aimed at the fact that the ep was just plain bad. I don't mind eps that show problems in our world, as long as they are good.

Another reason I found the whole concept silly was the fact that only the Feds were making the changes, the Romulans, Klingons and Cardassians (and all other races) weren't mentioned. Therefore, it is assumed, by me anyway, that they haven't made any changes so the whole concept is mote anyway you look at it. Though I guess it could be argued that with the Quantum Sigularity Drive the Romulans wouldn't need to make any design changes, but this is speculation.

[Gabe Mitchell]

Written by Phantom:

[quote]Though I guess it could be argued that with the Quantum Sigularity Drive the Romulans wouldn't need to make any design changes, but this is speculation.[/i]



Oh, wait... you're referring to the Romulans using an artificial quantum singularity as their power source instead of dilithium like the Federation and Klingons. Duh. For some reason, I thought you meant that the Romulans had Quantum Slipstream Drive... it's definitely been one of those days. Time to go home and play NCAA Football 2004.

[QuantumRabbit]

Actually I would think this wouldn't help...the source of power isn't what causes the spatial rifts, it is forming the warp bubble. I would think transwarp and slipstream would either by design be better about it or far worse, for causing more disturbance to spacial fabric...The exact amount of energy ouput whether by Dilithium or quantum singularity, however, it merely increases the warp bubble and thus damage done to spacial fields and subspace.

That episode showed only that it took A LOT of traffic above warp 5 to do any visible damage, and it still would have been 20, 30, or 50 years before enough damage was caused that they would have to stop entirely...Lower warp speeds don't cease the effect, just slow it enough that they stopped caring...and the effects are still cumulative, with no way to "repair" the damage. Years later who is to say they can't reapir it now? Or that they don't have as some one said a "catalitic converter" for space ships that make it much less damaging.