Talk:AIF/@comment-12161342-20150403124128/@comment-13235970-20150404001309

First off, I completely agree with on this, Narada's strength comes from it's design.Thhe way the tentacles obstruct shots from hitting anything else is awesome, and a great example of a well designed giant ship.

But I would disagree with the claim that it would work in real life. The reason it works in the game, is that a certain part of it (in this case the tentacles) gets hit, and after getting hit once, takes little to no more damage each subsequent time it is hit, while shielding the rest of the ship from damage.

In reality, having small pieces sticking off everywhere to shield wouldn't work. They would easily be destroyed, and unlike in the game where they stay right in their place and obsorb more damage, they would come apart, rip off, or just be completely destroyed, probably taking some of your sub-systems and electronics with them. Air leaks, fires... Damage control only goes so far. In all actuality you'd be better off with really thick armor, rather than random one-time use protrusions.

I can't give you a way to make a sub this big another way. I don't know how, or of any material big enough and heavy enough. It doesn't mean it's not possible but it's... Unlikely. That's kind of my point though. It's probably not possible to make them quite this big.