The Bullets don't work

[Rowan]

Originally Posted by warhammerdriver

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On the bullets vs lasers, from a physics standpoint, the bullets would be a better choice I think. From a special effects view though, the lasers would be better.

Hence why I feel torn...

[Westy]

Another method of immediate death caused by a nuclear weapon is an interesting interaction that the massive amounts of initial gamma radiation has upon the phosphorous in your bones. For a split second, your bones will light up like neon tubes....then you vaporize. You probably won't feel it though, because you'll vaporize faster than the pain can travel along your nerves.

Originally Posted by warhammerdriver

On the bullets vs lasers, from a physics standpoint, the bullets would be a better choice I think. From a special effects view though, the lasers would be better.

They might be. But they weren't used. Not real lasers.
Recall Star Trek, especially TOS. The "phasers" behaved like lasers. They were true "beam projectors". The "photon torpedoes" appeared to be bundles of radiant energy, travelling at comparatively slow speed, intended to explode on impact. It was only in the movies that a solid casing for the torpedoes was introduced. In TOS, they never explained what kept the enegry bundles wrapped up. Then again, in the movies, they never bothered to explain why the torpedo projectiles glowed while enroute to the target.
In any case, what we see in BSG TOS is not really lasers, it is projectiles composed of some sort of energy. Not really lasers at all. Blasters, maybe, but not lasers.

A lot of what the Galactica was firing were "flak" rounds, though.

Yeah, that was always a problem to me. Lasers don't "explode". But if they were really photon torpedoes, then the problem is solved.

As an artistic comment, the weapons effects in the show are designed to be familiar to us. Therefore, the bullets appear to travel at about the same speed as tracer bullets from a WWII fighter plane. We've all seen those movies, and our memory makes the bullets look "right" to us travelling at that velocity. Bullets travelling at the 100,000 m.p.s. that I suggest would be utterly invisible to the eye. Realism in this matter would kill the excitement, just as realistic silence in space kills it. The best compromise is to keep shooting the scenes the way they've been done, but to use the realistic numbers if there is ever a technical discussion between characters.

I prefer Lasers to bullets any day, whether they are on a plane, ship, or hand weapons Lasers are cool.

That was part of what made scifi so special.

Lazerdragon.

Originally Posted by Lazerdragon

I prefer Lasers to bullets any day, whether they are on a plane, ship, or hand weapons Lasers are cool.

That was part of what made scifi so special.

Lazerdragon.

Fair enough, but BG TOS didn't actually use lasers. See my comments three posts up.