are you sure about that? Lets not forget that GTVA beams are far from beeing equal to the shivan counterparts (Ex: BFRed vs BFG) . Also I seriously doubt that by capturing an enemy vesssel you wouldnt learn anything. For one you could find detailed maps or coordinates of jumpoints the GTVA has no idea exist. Second you could go through the things database and perhaps find out just how large the enemy force is not to mention studying the shivan subspace tech engines weapon sistems fighter/bommber compliment if any are left.
Except the GTVA doesn't 'speak' Shivan, and even if they did, there is absolutely no reason to believe Shivan computer systems are comparable, compatible, or even on the same paradigm as GTVA. Imagine, say, the difficulty of decoding Egyptian hyroglyphs without a Rosetta stone. And that's for a language build around human perception and contexts; even something as basic base-10 maths is a human invention (10 fingers). What if Shivan computers started in 5-state rather than binary values?
Hell where do i even start there is so much you could find out from an enemy capship. Also you would find out about its limitations and perhaps means ...better means of taking the enemy ship out. Not to mention means of improving your own weapons ship designs etc.
Only if you understand enough to do so. And assuming the Shivans would let it be captured, of course; they have rather a history of destroying captured vessels, even assuming there is no self-destruct device.
Capturing a ravana would of been a huge inteligence and tactical achievement.
It would be a huge achievement (in the sense of the obstacles overcome), but one worth the massive expense? If you put me in charge of, say, a particle accelerator, I can't do anything with it because I don't understand the technology.... make that highly advanced alien race and it becomes 10 times more difficult.
Also about the whole 3 shivans beat a whole squad of terrans thing yeah i agree but lets not forget they went in totaly unprepared for the shivans the first time and later during the Iceni capture atempt you get messages that say the coridors ar filled with human and shivan bodyes which mean they have gotten a lot better at killing shivans then before.
I believe that message gives the impression that the human personnel were 'slaughtered'; I think the term used is 'some Shivans are among the dead', which scarcely lends weight to the belief that the Terrans 'won'.... not to mention that a) the Shivans got what they wanted and b) this was Terran ground. And c) we don't know who fired first.
Also, whilst they may have been unprepared for the Shivans, the boarding crew were prepared for battle - and there's no basis for assuming the Shivans were prepared, either, so to speculate 'who was ready' as an excuse is rather futile in both directions. Even accounting for the 1st contact nature, it's evident that Shivans are faster, stronger (
"Each Shivan leg ends in a very strong claw, capable of crushing even the sturdiest of known alloys"), and have better weaponry than GTVA soldiers.
Oh and even if it cost me 10 or 30.000 soldiers to capture the blasted thing I would do it. Lets not forget they wasted an equal amount of men tring to take it out in the first place. So from mi POV sacrificing that many soldiers to achieve such a succes would more then convenient.
How would you get 10,000 soldiers into the ship? (assuming it didn't require more, of course) What happens if you can only blow a couple of holes in the hull for ingress? How can you co-ordinate a massive assault without knowing the ships internal defenses, crew numbers, or layout? How many transports would you need? What risk is there to that transport? What if the Shivans depressurize the hall, forcing your marines into environmental suits? Where do you get 10,000 - a destroyers' crew worth - of soldiers from, anyways? Where do you hold them, and how do you mandate the risk they face with anything less than a shadow fleet to protect them? what happens if the Shivans pop up and *bang* kill 5,000 soldiers by taking out their transports at the staging area before or during your attack on the Ravana?
Lets say you sacrifice 10,000, and still can't capture it. What then? Throw in another 1,000 or so? Just keep pissing bodies against the wall in a sucide attack in the
hope you can salvage information from a totally alien vessel, and in the
hope the Shivans won't just pop up and nuke the thing as soon as you have it?
