Who builds Starships?

[Mikey]

I would imagine that all human companies are owned by the Federation since they're very commie like. That being said if they just could create a replicator large enough why even build ships when you can just pop them out?

Certain things, like warp coils, can't be replicated.

[Sionnach Glic]

Or metal hatches.

[Captain Seafort]

Or fancy rainwater

[Sionnach Glic]

Or blood.

[Deepcrush]

Or IQ

[stitch626]

Or banana pancakes with maple syrup.

[Talos]

Or banana pancakes with maple syrup.

banana pancakes are easy to replicate but the maple syrup... way too complicated...

[Deepcrush]

Or banana pancakes with maple syrup.

banana pancakes are easy to replicate but the marple syrup... way too complicated...

Like I said, IQ.

[Mikey]

Considering the normally overly-complex SF SOP, they'd probably just replicate a tree, tap it, boil the sap, and then replicate a Vermonter to bottle it.

[stitch626]

Where would they put the tree. Mature maples are quite large.

[Captain Picard's Hair]

Considering the normally overly-complex SF SOP, they'd probably just replicate a tree, tap it, boil the sap, and then replicate a Vermonter to bottle it.

So, it's a good thing that Starships don't grow on trees - in some backwards way!

[Teaos]

If you cant replicate a warp coil how do you make them? If a machine that can put together a nice steak cant make something as good as a machine can there is something wrong.

[Captain Picard's Hair]

If you cant replicate a warp coil how do you make them? If a machine that can put together a nice steak cant make something as good as a machine can there is something wrong.

Isn't it the whole idea that warp coils are crazy hard to make, which is what makes them so special (and valuable) and limits ship production? IIRC, this is a point YOU'VE made in the past.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

That being said if they just could create a replicator large enough why even build ships when you can just pop them out?

I'm sure there's energy concerns. Voyager had to ration replicator usage, so imagine how much energy it would take to replicate a massive starship. It might just be more cost efficient to build them the old fashined way. Like how we can power cars with hydrogen fuel cells, but it isn't energy efficient(yet)

[Teaos]

The point I was making that in show they say warp coils are cray hard to make and thu greatly limits the amount of ships you can resonably field.

What I'm saying now is why is that the case? Why can a machine or a human make something to a greater degree of skill than a machine that can form organic material from nothing?