How would YOU have approached Season 6?

[McAvoy]

Out of curiosity, have you ever heard of carriers get referred to as 'bomb magnets'? 'Cause the guys I know that serve on them have called carriers that. They say since carriers are big, powerful, and expensive, everyone wants to take them out. I wouldn't be surprised if that's the reason hive ships seem so empty. They're big enough to tank enemy fire and have enough wraith to do damage, but in the event the hive is destroyed, its loss won't be as massive.

I actually served on them.

Believe it not but it would take a very large and concerted effort to sink a carrier. The carrier has alot of defenses at it's disposal. Pretty much only major powers like some European nations, Russia and maybe, just maybe China that could break through and inflict alot of damage.

[McAvoy]

For the SGC as-is, it's simply not practical to build multiple classes of ships. The 304 performs very well, and all the infrastructure is already in place. The Stargate Program is already far beyond what normally could be kept secret. Maybe 20 years into the future, in a disclosed environment. But as a theoretical season 6 it's just not attainable.

As a fan, i'd love to see such things. But from a pragmatic point of view, it's not gonna happen.

I could go 20 rounds over roles in space, and if anyone wants that we can make a thread, but Stargate already plays fast and loose with physics and such discussions would probably require a lot of that.

I don't think there should be a multitude of ship classes like Star Trek either. But I do think a gunboat ship like 100-200 meters (assuming the 304 is 500-600 meters long) manned by strictly Navy (just like the Air Force for some reason operates 304s) isn't out of the question.

They are smaller, cheaper and another branch using their own funding builds and operates them. Hell, there could be an episode where it was the Navy that came up with the idea of building these ships off of Earth and we can see a shipyard on that planet building these ships. You could even introduce the concept in the beginning of the episode where Sheppard is taking a tour, mumbling about sailors manning ships, and gets called off to do a mission back in the Pegasus galaxy.

Two episodes later the first few of the ships comes to Atlantis to be offered as a permanent mobile defense for Atlantis while the other 304s are doing other stuff.

[thekillman]

manned by strictly Navy

From a practical perspective, the USAF has slightly more reason to be manning spaceships than navy. In reality, Space wars would be a thing completely on it's own, as different from air battles as air battles are from naval battles as those are from land combat.

secondly,
The idea of a small cruiser isn't that crazy. But like i said, with the budget for the Stargate program tight enough as it is (didn't the SGC budget get slashed in Season 8/9? just to be able to build 304's?) there simply isn't room for a second secret supply line. There's a reason 303's arent made anymore, even if they could be used as a cheaper alternative

in 20-30 years, i'd see the fleet roughly as this:

*some sort of cruiser, 150-200m ish. armed with a single beam weapon, but mostly equipped for orbital support of ground teams, quick response to smaller threats (there are plenty of ha'tak flying around) and essentially a "budget" 304. Could be a redesigned 303 for smaller action. There does not really seem to be an easy alien alternative.

*Interstellar craft, somewhat similar to the Raptors from BSG and fulfilling a similar role: able to take a variety of packages. Cheap interstellar hyperdrive for mass production. Designed to get ground teams in and out of the fire, securing Stargates, and making generic deliveries within reasonable distance. With a number of tactical Beta Sites to house and support these, plus the stargate, you could cover a lot of space.

*F-302. Likely going to be updated ad nausea. better engines, better weapons, etc. Might be better to fit it with a rapid fire plasma gun for close engages than railguns (ammo and all that). An interstellar hyperdrive can be tacked on (cmon, the Jumper Hyperdrive couldn't have been much bigger than the nukes they strapped on) for emergency actions and increased engagement ranges for 304's and Beta Sites.

*304's are likely going to remain the backbone of the fleet. They're extremely efficient when it comes to engaging enemies of superior size, and it's unlikely to change. They can be used as platforms for whatever is needed, hangars are easily converted to whatever is needed. No need for specific classes: just outfit a 304 with it's necessary components and it's done. The bomb bay seems to be a versatile space anyway.

*305. this depends on how the Milkyway actually develops. If it turns out we got to return to heavy fighting, we'd likely see a 305 as a 304 stripped of it's extraneous functions and likely designed to be a pure battleship. Hangars are either ripped off or replaced by pure reactor and shield space. Likely would pack the same amount of beam weapons, but additional plasma pulse weapons to deal with peskier and smaller ships (just look how painful it was to bring down a wraith cruiser). I'd likely halve the available missile silos (or even reduce them further) to make place for the pulse weapons. I'd aim at about 8-12 of them for optimum coverage.

Lastly:
*Goa'uld craft. Really, those tel'tak and Al'kesh were really useful, actually. may need some interior redecoration and in the case of the Al'kesh, some more appropriate weaponry. But the second bullet point could actually be fulfilled by some borrowed tel'tak and Al'kesh, depending on the exact role that needs to be fulfilled.

[StargateMillennium]

It'd also be cool to see a larger variety of weapons. And I don't just mean different shapes and shooting different colors. I mean like weapons that fulfill different roles in combat.

[Super Hive]

Maybe the Atlantis team could finally be equipped with the energy weapons the SGC developed and that were used in Continuum? The X-699? Or a more streamlined version of it since it's quite bulky. I never understood why they never used any of the Wraith weapons that they confiscated.

[thekillman]

Maybe the Atlantis team could finally be equipped with the energy weapons the SGC developed and that were used in Continuum? The X-699? Or a more streamlined version of it since it's quite bulky. I never understood why they never used any of the Wraith weapons that they confiscated.

They did so regularly at Atlantis itself. However, wraith i believe were quite hard to stun.

[garhkal]

They did so regularly at Atlantis itself. However, wraith i believe were quite hard to stun.

Yup. some seemed to take 3-4 shots before going down.
Which makes me wonder would a Zat have any effect?

[jelgate]

Yup. some seemed to take 3-4 shots before going down.
Which makes me wonder would a Zat have any effect?

Watch Midway

[Super Hive]

I'd say 'regularly' is a bit of a stretch. I do recall a few instances that they used Wraith weapons on missions but it wasn't particularly often. I just think us having a new more tools to fight the Wraith would be interesting and add a few more possibilities, so the X-699's would be nice.

I also think it'd be good to see the Wraith take a different approach when facing off against Atlantis. Perhaps instead of the usual 'stun now feed later', they know that they simply can't take chances with the Atlantis expedition, so they edit their tactics to outright kill them? It would show the Wraith's desperation and up the stakes for the team. I really want to see the Wraith up the ante and put some serious pressure on Atlantis by considerably changing their tactics.

[garhkal]

How's about they figure out the same black hole trick, by placing a gate near one, then having it dial into a gate near a star to suck enough away the star goes nova. Like Carter did to Sokar's world.

[thekillman]

How's about they figure out the same black hole trick, by placing a gate near one, then having it dial into a gate near a star to suck enough away the star goes nova. Like Carter did to Sokar's world.

I'm pretty sure the Writers regretted ever introducing that

[Super Hive]

What would that accomplish though? Unless the all of the Wraith factions are in the area it would be pretty pointless, since SG-1 only did that to ambush Apophis' armies because they had inside information.

I wouldn't want to see the same means used to defeat the Wraith tbh. I think I'd want defeating the Wraith to be finding a way for them to still exist, but exist beyond their need to feed. I doubt all of the factions would want this, but I think at least one might see the obvious: they've plateaued in their technological advancement (they've basically been using the same technology for 10,000 years), and the reason is that they can't get beyond their intense need to feed on human life. Their greatest strength is ultimately holding them back. I'd like some self-reflection on the Wraith's behalf and really get into what it means to be Wraith.

[garhkal]

I was on about the WRAITH using that tactic to try and take out atlantis.

[thekillman]

I was on about the WRAITH using that tactic to try and take out atlantis.

With the current situation Atlantis could pretty easily escape that

[garhkal]

Depends on how drained those 3 ZPMs they have are after the battle over earth (Enemy at the gates) and with getting BACK to the PG..