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It's not only a matter of the Borg being able to absorb the number of casualties created by their (lack of) tactics - the other key factor, which is harder for US to comprehend, is the utter LACK OF CONCERN about those casualties. As I have mentioned on another thread, the Borg progress by agglomeration, not by invention. Their tactics as far as inter-personal combat have not yet been demonstrated to be ineffective, so no change has been indicated.

Don't tell me about ST: First Contact - their attack tactics were NOT called into question here, because the drones were attempting to complete a task, NOT concentrate on attack.

Numerous times we've seen advancing drones raise their modified arm at the person they are attacking/confronting/etc. Can't be that hard, especially not when they can simply *grow* an aiming device?

They may not be able to miniturize aiming systems effectively.

Also, here's an experiment for you. Take a small laser pointer and put it in your hand. It will fit perfectly, so when you aim it at something you're aiming your fist more than anything else. Sounds like it would be easy to tag something with it, right?
Pick a target and stand back from it, try and tag it with the pointer by quickly clicking the button. You will be surprised at how difficult it is to hit something without having to keep the pointer turned on.

Its not a perfect analogy, but it does demonstrate that its not as easy as you would imagine.

Drones would have way better hand eye coordination than us. With their implants they would be able to work out precise angles and the like.

Possibly, I was just trying to point out that its not as easy as some would think.
And this is all a moot point anyway, they don't even use guns!

But clearly they CAN use drone-based beam weapons as demonstrated by Seven of Nine in 'Survival Instinct'.

And what about the 'laser' scopes already on their optical scanners that we see in 'First Contact'?

Why not just add one of those as a stablized laser-assisted aiming device onto their forearm?

But clearly they CAN use drone-based beam weapons as demonstrated by Seven of Nine in 'Survival Instinct'.

I don't remember that episode all too well, but wasn't that a group of drones cut off from the collective? If so, I already proposed a reason for them using weapons earlier in this thread.

And what about the 'laser' scopes already on their optical scanners that we see in 'First Contact'?

Do we know what these scopes do? They may simply be for detecting life forms, or something. Do we actually know that they are targetting systems?

Why not just add one of those as a stablized laser-assisted aiming device onto their forearm?

As I said earlier, there may not be enough processing power in the collective to use these effectively in combination with a weapon.

Rochey, damn you and your all-knowing encyclopedic knowledge of trek! lol!

I wonder how much independent brain power a Drone has or is everything controlled by the collective.

Lets say they assimilate a prodigy of some sort. Does the Drone retain the ability to be a amazing engineer or something?

Rochey, damn you and your all-knowing encyclopedic knowledge of trek! lol!

Actually, compared to most here I know very little. I can't even remember half the episodes!

Lets say they assimilate a prodigy of some sort. Does the Drone retain the ability to be a amazing engineer or something?

I would say no. The knowledge he has is controlled by the collective, and thus is available to all drones. But I'd say the drone would know no more than any other.

Take the internet as an example. You get a brand new computer, it 'knows' nothing, but it has access to a vast repository of information which can be saved onto the computer if needed.

Ah but if you had a better than average computer it would be able to do more with the knowledge it has access to. But I think your right. The Borg don't seem to develop their own stuff just assimilate others which would implie there is no original thought in the collective mind.

Ah but if you had a better than average computer it would be able to do more with the knowledge it has access to.

Quite true. However, with the borg any individual advantages or inteligence would be destroyed. It would be like taking the casing of a top of the line computer and replacing whats inside with old parts.