I've been reading and enjoying the new Tholian MSSB, and was intrigued to read that the original arrivals included a few command modules, complete with web-casters (R7.87). The section points out that the Tholians didn't have the ability to maintain or replicate the web-casters, forcing their replacement with disruptors. It also mentions that the small warp engine on the module made it impractical for use as an independent ship compared to the patrol cruiser, and eventually they were all scrapped.

However, this discussion prompted this idea: suppose one of the original command modules (and its web-caster) had still been around when the Tholians learned how to create larger ships by welding multiple hulls together? Consider: a "D" dreadnought created by combining a command module with two PC hulls (with the command module as the foremost hull to preserve the web caster). That would be a pretty nice ship!

It doesn't work in the historical timeline since the web-casters were all long gone by the time the multi-hull ships appeared, but I found it to be an interesting thought exercise.

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Monday, April 26, 2021 - 11:25 pm: Edit

You are making a mistake. They could build modules,but the only modules they arrived with were the light command modules on th the frigates and destroyers, and the only web casters were on the rear hulls of the two destroyers.