Why cant ships fire when cloaked?

[techs]

Other random thoughts:
Then you've got the "brilliant" idea of what amounted to a heat-seeking missile in ST6. Why this isn't used more often, or why it wasn't thought of before then...only the writers know.

For firing while cloaked: Use missiles. You don't need any additional power, except perhaps to open a door covering the missile launch tubes.

Multiple power cores: Defiant has a triple-thinged warp core, so that can be done - power the cloak, and power something else.

You are ignoring my completely made up theories!

You can't use missiles since they travel far slower than an impulse powered ship.

While you could fire a missile thru a cloak, the act of the missile passing thru destabilizes the cloak and the ship can be seen long enough to get a fix on it.

Multiple power cores would not help a cloaked ship. It's a delicate balancing act to cloak a ship. More power and more engines would make it even harder!

Now, dammit, I made this shit up but you better follow it!

 

[PingSpike]

In modern dogfights the planes are kms apart. In space I imagine we'd be talking an order of magnitude more of open space in any direction. Sounds like you'd have to send out a ton of explosives over a huge area to pull that off.

Oh, and for old times sake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm_0YgTbIDM

Naw, just make the explosives in the replicator.

The transporter is the worst plot device tech in star trek of course. They're always having to make up bullshit interference reasons for it not working just to get the episodes to last longer than 5 minutes. Also it gave rise to the holodeck, which gives us some of the worst TNG episodes. There were some good holodeck episodes, but mostly annoying ones.

 

[SunnyD]

The missile solution would be able to take care of these problems. It would be able to propel itself away from the ship, and it could be self-guiding.

But that's only half the problem. Any half-capable sensor array and targeting system would immediately triangulate the launch of a missile and pound the shit out of the cloaked (defenseless) ship in a microsecond.

Not to mention in terms of relative speeds, missiles are fucking slow (torpedoes are "supposed" to travel at warp speed (about warp 6 if I recall correctly), though the shows obviously neglect this aspect). Any sublight device like a missile would be slow enough to be intercepted immediately, likely being blown up in the face of the aggressor for that matter.

"Missiles" in the Star Trek universe are considered antiquated technology compared to torpedoes.

 

[jonks]

The transporter is the worst plot device tech in star trek of course. They're always having to make up bullshit interference reasons for it not working just to get the episodes to last longer than 5 minutes. Also it gave rise to the holodeck, which gives us some of the worst TNG episodes. There were some good holodeck episodes, but mostly annoying ones.

As cell phones are the current bugaboo of horror films. Damnit, low battery! Damnit, no signal! Damnit, my cell phone broke!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Because it would upset the balance of power in the fictional Star Trek universe favoring the Klingons/Romulans and Gene Roddenberry would never have stood for that!

 

[techs]

The real inconsistency is the Klingons using cloaking technology.
That would be considered cowardly by any real Klingon.

 

[JTsyo]

The obvious weapon for clocked ships are matter/Anti-matter mines. Just drop them in the path and slink away. Just need to wait for the fireworks.

 

[SunnyD]

The real inconsistency is the Klingons using cloaking technology.
That would be considered cowardly by any real Klingon.

It's a tactical advantage, therefore the Klingons have no qualms about using it.

However, this is where things get interesting. Klingons are said to have "invented" the cloaking device, and then shared the knowledge with the Romulans at a later date in the Star Trek universe.

The actual fact of the matter is Romulans invented cloaking technology, and it was acquired in a trade by the Klingons in exchange for some more advanced heavy warship designs (C8/D7/E5) and several D6/D7 cruisers and E5 destroyers as the Romulan fleet was ancient compared to modern Federation and Klingon ships, and the Romulans needed new designs and ships in a hurry lest the Federation kick their asses. (Star Fleet Universe)

 

[NikolaeVarius]

The obvious weapon for clocked ships are matter/Anti-matter mines. Just drop them in the path and slink away. Just need to wait for the fireworks.

The reasources required to effectively mine an area of space would vastly outstrip the amount of metal available to mine on any given planet.